St. Louis, Missouri
December 8, 2003
Soybean
checkoff farmer-leaders understand the growing competition U.S.
farmers face in today's global market. To address this concern,
farmer leaders from the United Soybean Board (USB) have teamed
up with members of the
American Soybean Association
(ASA), state soybean checkoff boards and other soybean industry
organizations to form a Competitiveness Task Force to examine
the current state of the U.S. soybean industry and develop
strategies for improving the competitive position of U.S.
soybean farmers.
"The primary
goal of our soybean checkoff is to create demand for U.S.
soybeans and ensure a profitable environment for U.S. soybean
farmers," said Criss Davis,
newly elected chairman of the United Soybean Board and a soybean
farmer from Shullsburg, Wis. "By working together with state
checkoff boards, ASA and other organizations in the soybean
industry, we can more effectively and efficiently implement
those activities that will help us achieve this goal and make us
a more competitive force in domestic and international markets."
Davis explained the objectives of the Competitiveness Task Force
at a
USB press conference held earlier today in
St. Louis.
The
Competitiveness Task Force has identified several target areas
they that are essential to maintaining the health of the
U.S.
soybean industry. The target areas include improving the overall
quality of soybeans to meet the demands of various end users,
increasing productivity to allow U.S. soybean farmers the
ability to offer a more competitive price to customers, and the
establishment of a value-pricing system that will evoke
increased economic incentives to meet consumer expectations for
a variety of products.
"Soybean meal
for the U.S. livestock and poultry industries utilizes almost
half of the soybeans consumed by the domestic market, so it's
critical that we support and protect these industries," said
Davis. "The soybean checkoff already provides over $1 million
worth of funding to meat and poultry export promotion activities
annually. However, more can be done." The task force is also
investigating ways to provide additional support to the U.S.
livestock and poultry industries, which will lead to structural
and environmental improvements in the industry.
Other needs
the task force identified will require more assistance from the
American Soybean Association and other organizations. This
includes evaluating transportation and infrastructure issues,
the ongoing investigation of environmental issues and
agricultural policy, and appropriate trade policy and market
access regulations, which will be necessary to provide soybean
producers with assistance concerning government trade
agreements. Soybean checkoff funds may not be used to influence
government policy.
Key
recommendations made by the task force aim to build demand for
U.S. soybeans and develop ways to add value to
U.S.
soybeans and soy products. The task force emphasizes the need to
position the United States as the most reliable supplier of the
safest food in the world, raise the quality of U.S. soybeans,
and develop measurement standards to consistently and accurately
measure soybean quality traits.
The soybean
checkoff has already started to address these issues through a
few special initiatives. The checkoff-funded Better Bean
Initiative is a coordinated effort with public and private
researchers to accelerate the availability of soybean varieties
with enhanced oil and meal traits, without affecting yield. This
year, the soybean checkoff launched another initiative that aims
to improve the quality of U.S. soybeans by working with the
entire soybean industry to encourage U.S. soybean farmers in the
upper Midwest to select and grow high-yielding varieties that
also include high levels of protein and oil. Currently, there is
not an industry standard for measuring these traits in
varieties. Through a project the checkoff is working on with the
American Oil Chemists' Society, efforts are under way to
establish consistent and accurate measurement standards for
evaluating soybean quality traits such as protein and oil.
USB is made up
of 61 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the
soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. 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. |