(NAFB) – Brazil is positioned to surpass the U.S. in corn exports this year.

However, the National Corn Growers Association says the data shows the trend leading to this development won’t continue. The South American country faces several challenges when it comes to agriculture and trade. “U.S. exports have been hindered by droughts that have affected key areas of the Corn Belt,” says NCGA Lead Economist Krista Swanson. “But the U.S. has several relative advantages in the global corn market that can be harnessed to support our $90 billion corn industry.”

The U.S. is bolstered by superior infrastructure and sustainable farming practices. While there is additional pasture area available to expand Brazil’s cropland, efforts are also underway to rein in deforestation of valuable rainforest critical to global sustainability. NCGA is calling on Congress to double farm bill funding for important trade programs like the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Program.