St. Louis, Missouri
August 20, 2007
Customers of U.S. soybeans abroad
expect a quality product, especially in Asia where buyers
heavily scrutinize oil and protein levels of the soybeans they
import. Optimal levels of oil and protein in soybeans are set at
19 percent oil and 35 percent protein, and the
United Soybean Board
(USB) and the soybean checkoff are dedicated to meeting this
level in U.S. soy exports.
Exports to Asia represent more than 50 percent of U.S soybean
exports, and China is the single largest export market. Meeting
Asia’s demand for quality soybeans is a top priority for the
checkoff. That is why the checkoff has developed the Select
Yield & Quality (SYQ) initiative to inform soybean farmers on
how to make seed selections that will boost the overall quality
of U.S. soybeans.
“International customers demand soybeans consisting of 19
percent oil and 35 percent protein, and if we don’t supply them,
someone else will,” says Bob Kirchner, SYQ team lead and a
soybean farmer from Brewster, Minn. “Through the SYQ initiative,
the checkoff is showing our dedication to meeting the demand of
its customers abroad. With informed seed selection, soybean
farmers in states such as Minnesota in the upper Midwest can
reach the desired oil and protein levels.”
The soybean checkoff has funded an annual U.S. soybean
crop-quality survey and accompanying analysis for several years.
Now in its second decade, the survey provides detailed
information to soybean buyers on such things as the oil, protein
and other details about newly harvested U.S. soybeans.
The survey is conducted by sending soybean farmers throughout
the country a kit encouraging them to send in samples of the
soybeans they’ll harvest this year. The kits, and the harvested
crop samples farmers will return, represent a critical component
in demonstrating the value of U.S. soy to international
customers.
The 2006 crop-quality survey conducted by the checkoff showed
average protein levels in the United States were at 34.5
percent, about 0.6 percentage point lower than in 2005. Oil was
about 0.2 percentage point lower, coming in at 19.2 percent.
This drop in oil and protein levels can be explained by things
such as year-to-year environmental factors, as well as
geographic challenges. Another contributing factor is that more
soybean acres are being planted in northern areas of the United
States, where there are shorter summers.
The checkoff is especially focused on maintaining soybean
quality in states where geographic challenges make it
traditionally harder to meet desired oil and protein levels. The
Web site www.worldsbestbeans.com contains links to seed
companies and other industry partners as well as a downloadable
version of the Soybean Variety Selector 2007. This tool allows
soybean farmers to select top-yielding varieties for their
specific region of the country.
Specific concerns regarding oil and protein levels in U.S. soy
were raised earlier this year when a Chinese delegation came to
the United States to purchase soybeans. The Chinese delegation
bought nearly 300 million bushels of U.S. soybeans worth over
$2.7 billion. One issue raised by Zhang Zengrun, president of
the Shandong Sanwei Oil and Fat Group, is declining oil and
protein content in U.S. soybeans.
“Chinese imports of U.S. soy have increased nearly every year
for the last decade, and, with the growing Chinese population,
we can expect that upward trend to continue,” says Kirchner, “We
understand the importance of China to the future of the U.S.
soybean industry and the concerns of the recent Chinese
delegation have not fallen on deaf ears. The checkoff will
continue to communicate the importance of meeting the quality
demands for this valued customer.”
USB is made up of 64 farmer-directors who oversee the
investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S.
soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of
animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization,
industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in
the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act,
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight
responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff. |
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