Indiana’s soybean checkoff, USSEC expand trade opportunities for U.S. Soy

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 28, 2022) — Despite pressure from the weather, pests and other challenges, Indiana soybean growers do an excellent job of producing a crop. According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Hoosier farmers plant more than 5.6 million acres of soybeans each year. Indiana produces more than 335 billion bushels of soybeans worth an estimated $4.4 billion. Indiana is the fifth-largest, soybean-producing state in America.

Soybeans are a versatile crop with both soybean oil and soybean meal creating products that are valuable. For the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), the state’s soybean checkoff, the mission is to move that large pile to customers around the world while increasing the value of that crop. ISA’s strategy to accomplish this goal is comprehensive and requires many partners. The U.S. Soy Export Council (USSEC) is one of ISA’s primary partners in moving soybeans overseas.

USSEC’s mission is to maximize the utilization, value and access to markets of U.S. Soy around the world. USSEC receives soybean farmer checkoff dollars from several state soybean checkoff organizations, including ISA, and the United Soybean Board (USB). Similar to ISA, USSEC’s strategy is to create a preference for U.S. Soy by nurturing relationships, growing awareness and demonstrating value to global customers. With offices in more than 80 countries, USSEC helps customers with diverse backgrounds and experiences to reach their full potential by using U.S. Soy products.

“By developing new export markets for U.S. soybeans – and by encouraging new and innovative uses for soybeans, USSEC does a great job of increasing the value of U.S. soybeans and helping the bottom line for soybean growers across the country,” said La Crosse, Ind., farmer Denise Scarborough, an ISA board director and a representative to the USSEC board. “USSEC has boots on the ground in countries around the world promoting the advantages of using U.S.-grown soybeans. It is critical that they are there in touch with the people in those markets to access those customers and anything they might need.”

Recently, ISA and USSEC worked together to host soybean buyers from Colombia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, The Philippines and Vietnam. These international buyers toured the Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center at Purdue University, Corteva Agriscience, a Bunge soybean crush facility, grocery stores and the farms of Tom and Kim Griffiths of Kendallville, Ind.; Mike and Nancy Cline of Kirklin, Ind.; and David and Mary Howell of Middletown, Ind.

The purpose of these tours was to highlight the care of soybean production in Indiana and to give international soybean stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions of farmers.

“These stakeholders represent buyers of soybean oil from several countries,” said Will McNair, director of oil and soy food programs for USSEC. “It could be a vice president, it could be owners, or it could be key R&D or purchasing personnel. Indiana is really a key, crucial state for soybean production, exports and innovation. Being able to visit places like Purdue University, Bunge and Corteva really helps to send the message to the international buyers of innovation, production and supply reliability. Our hope is that they will return home knowing the United States is a consistent, reliable supplier that is innovating to help meet their demand needs for the future.”

The tour group that visited the Griffiths’ farm in Noble County included 20 participants and a Spanish-speaking translator. The stakeholders were mostly from Colombia and Mexico, and they represented companies such as Grasco, which produces shortening and edible oils including soybean oil. Tom Griffiths, also a USB director, said hosting these tours puts a face on the crop for those interested in buying U.S.-grown soybeans.

“Tours like this help to cement those relationships that we’ve been working to build for many years,” Griffiths said. “It’s important to all of us as U.S. soybean growers, and it’s important to me on my farm, to keep these opportunities for international trade open. Our soybean crop grows in value with increased exports.”

Visit www.ussec.org for more details about U.S. Soy export efforts. Go online to www.unitedsoybean.org for news about the national soybean checkoff. For more information on ISA, visit www.indianasoybean.com

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About Indiana Soybean Alliance: The Indiana Soybean Alliance works to enhance the viability of Indiana soybean farmers through the effective and efficient investment of soybean checkoff funds that protect and promote the interest of Indiana soybean farmers. The ISA works to assist soybean farmers through its strategic initiatives of market development; environmental, social and economic sustainability; value creation and producer engagement. ISA is led by an elected, farmer board that directs investments of the soybean checkoff funds on behalf of more than 20,000 Indiana soybean farmers. Learn more at www.indianasoybean.com

About U.S. Soy Export Council: USSEC focuses on differentiating, building preference and enabling market access for the use of U.S. Soy for human consumption, aquaculture and livestock feed in 80-plus countries internationally. USSEC members represent the soy supply chair including U.S. Soy farmers, processors, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agribusinesses and agricultural organizations. USSEC is funded by the U.S. soybean checkoff, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) matching funds and industry. Please visit www.ussec.org for the latest information, resources and news about USSEC and U.S. Soy internationally.

About United Soybean Board: United Soybean Board’s 78 volunteer farmer-leaders work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers create value by investing in research, education and promotion with the vision to deliver sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day across the three priority areas of Infrastructure & Connectivity, Health & Nutrition, and Innovation & Technology. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff. For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit unitedsoybean.org

This communication was funded with Indiana soybean checkoff dollars.