Alumni

International Trips - Southeast Asia 2008

With expansive river valleys and deltas, rich soils, and a humid tropical climate, Southeast Asia has plentiful agricultural resources, but less than one-third of Southeast Asia’s land is in agricultural use and most are small family or communal farms. Due to a growing population, the region is one of the largest marketplaces for food and the rapid economic growth of these countries shows potential for positive growth in the agricultural industry. The K-State Master of Agribusiness (MAB) distance-education program offered students and alumni a chance to learn about the food and agriculture industry in Southeast Asia during a trip to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

“The MAB trip to Southeast Asia was a great experience. We really enjoyed learning about the agribusiness and industry in the region. The cultural and historical tours really added to the experience. It was fascinating to learn how the different countries’ government structures have influenced business and agriculture. It added a glimpse of the culture we might not have otherwise experienced if we traveled on our own,” Leslie Svacina, Communications Director of Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, St. Paul, Minn., and MAB student said.

With stops in three countries, the group visited a variety of crop and livestock operations, agricultural and food-related industries, and aquaculture, including stops at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, PKPS Tilapia Farm, and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; C.P. Retails and Marketing (CPRAM), Chiameng Rice Mill and the United Nations in Bangkok, Thailand; Dabaco Feed Mill and local wet markets in Hanoi, Vietnam; and a Cargill feed mill and small-to-large size back-yard hog farms outside of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

“The trip demonstrated to me how entwined our food systems are.  On our first visit in Thailand, the tour of CP food processing facility allowed us to see first hand the use of competitively priced labor in the making of food which inevitably ends up on our dinner tables at home,” Clair Doan, Manager of Commercial Banking – Agriculture at the National Bank of Canada, in London, Ontario said. “And at the Chiameng Rice Mill, rice was being processed for shipping to Canada; it was interesting to see our government regulated food labels in dual languages (French and English) being printed on large bags of rice destined for North America.”

To read more about the Southeast Asia trip, click here.

Join us for our 4th international trip as we travel to Australia and New Zealand. The trip is tentatively scheduled for April 16 - May 2010. More information will be available soon. If you'd like to be added to our interest list, please email mjbowen@ksu.edu or call 785-532-4435.