By MATTHEW D. ERNST Missouri Correspondent ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The United Soybean Board (USB) welcomed its new leadership team this month, as well as a new CEO, and received updates on soy checkoff projects designed to help preserve and expand demand for the record soybean volumes harvested in the United States. John Motter, outgoing USB chair, said a major accomplishment in 2017 was recruiting Polly Ruhland as CEO. She was formerly CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board. “I like her communications ability. I like that she is a strategist,” said Motter, who farms in Jenera, Ohio. “As a board, we need to focus on strategy and allow our employees and contractors to do the work.” A big part of USB work in 2018 is continuing the development of high-oleic soybeans, the checkoff’s major investment to win back edible oil market share. “Since the inception of trans fat labeling back in 2006, our market share has been eroding,” said Motter. He noted soy oil’s edible oil market share went from 82 percent “down into the mid 50s.” The checkoff has invested more than $50 million in developing high-oleic soybeans, with a bulk of the funds supporting commercial varieties developed by Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer. Some of the first high-oleic soybean varieties were released for the Eastern Corn Belt. That is because soybeans grown there are more likely to be used in the American food industry. “There’s certainly a greater focus about an improved oil like high-oleic in that geography,” said Motter. “We’re at the point as we get all the global approvals, to turn the switch on for high-oleic production.” China this year approved Monsanto’s Vistive Gold high-oleic soybeans for import. Plenish high-oleic soybeans from DuPont Pioneer already had approval from China. But like other soybeans, high-oleic soybeans could be stacked with herbicide resistance and other traits that may provide production advantages but are not yet approved by export markets. High-oleic soybean growth increased from about 450,000 acres in 2016 to more than 600,000 in 2017, according to the USB. Kevin Wilson, a USB farmer-director from Walton, Ind., said he will continue planting high-oleic soybeans this season. “High-oleic is kind of at a critical stage the next year or two, and hopefully we’ll be able to move it into the next level and get full approval for all the traits,” he said. The price premiums for high-oleic soybeans can appeal to farms near processors contracting for these varieties, like those in northern Indiana and Ohio. But Wilson said growing high-oleic varieties is about more than just capturing the current price premiums. “As I try to figure out what to plant, I still think that we need to keep in mind future growth areas. We have participated in the high-oleic program for the last five years, and we’re going to continue doing that. I think it’s important that we get back some of that oil market share,” he said. Keith Tapp, from Sebree, Ky., said even though high-oleic varieties are not yet available for western Kentucky, he supports the program. “I feel like we’ve got a good shot at reclaiming some of the oil market because of high-oleic. With high-oleic hitting the market, it will help pull the price up, because any time you move a bean, it’s going to elevate the price.” Tapp was elected the new USB vice chair. Lewis Bainbridge, from South Dakota, served as vice chair this year, and this year was elected USB chair for 2018. Tapp said Kentucky soybean farmers also support USB efforts to reward production of higher-protein soybeans. Some varieties have shown slight declines in protein content as yields have increased, but varieties grown in western Kentucky and other areas east of the Mississippi River tend toward higher protein than other areas of the Corn Belt. Wilson said Indiana growers support USB efforts to educate farmers about variety selection. “We’re trying to get farmers to pay attention to how the seed they purchased is ranked in terms of protein and oil. And then we’re really trying to work with the processors to get that information back to the farmer,” he explained. “We always look at the number of bushels on a load, but we need to try to hopefully get to the point where people are not only looking at that but they’re also concerned about the percentage protein, as well as oil.” Wilson and Tapp hope that effort could result in improved pricing down the road. “We’re trying to get to a value-added system, so that in Indiana – where we generally do have a little higher percentage (protein) than some of the other places in the Midwest – that we get reimbursed for some of this,” said Wilson. “That’s part of our USB long-range strategic plan that we’re trying to get implemented by 2021.” Along with Bainbridge and Tapp, USB elected nine directors to its Executive Committee: •Jim Carroll, Secretary – Arkansas •Dan Farney, Treasurer – Illinois •John Dodson – Tennessee •Gregg Fujan – Nebraska •Woody Green – South Carolina •Meagan Kaiser – Missouri •Rochelle Krusemark – Minnesota •Mark Seib – Indiana The farmers also selected members to serve on the USB’s Strategic Management Committee: Jacob Parker of North Carolina, Ray Schexnayder of Louisiana and Doug Winter of Illinois. |
