SSGA celebrates first US identity preserved sale to South Asia

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After three years promoting U.S. identity preserved soy in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance’s (SSGA) efforts have met the ultimate success. In late 2023, Nepal’s Shree Radhe Rani International Trading purchased one container of identity preserved product from one of SSGA’s newest members. This was the first ever commercial sale of U.S. identity preserved soy to South Asia.

To celebrate the purchase, SSGA Senior Advisor for South Asia, Philip Shull, traveled to the Nepali dry port of Birgunj with company director, Mr. Gaurav Agrawal, to receive the shipment. While in Kathmandu, Shull also spoke on “The Power and Promise of U.S. Identity Preserved Soybeans” at a U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) seminar.

Mr. Agrawal credited SSGA’s outreach as a major reason for his decision to introduce U.S. identity preserved soy in Nepal.

“Nepalis love to try new products, and our family company, founded and led by my father, Mr. Arun Agrawal, has been the first to do many things in the market,” said Agrawal.

He stressed that attending SSGA’s Identity Preserved International Summit in Hawaii in Jan. 2023 and SSGA’s guidance in the purchasing process were key reasons for his decision to buy.

Within three days of the product’s arrival, Mr. Agrawal had delivered samples to more than six retailers who had packaged whole beans for retail sale, as well as processed the soybeans into products such as soy milk, tofu, soy flour and soy nuts.

Using his own equipment, Mr. Agrawal also split and dehulled bags of product. All of these items were on display at the USSEC seminar at the Kathmandu Marriott Hotel, which was attended by many of Nepal’s leading soy food processors and retailers.

“I am very pleased with the appearance and performance of these beans,” said Mr. Agrawal. “The tofu yield was better than expected, and the soft consistency of the tofu was very nice.”

Mr. Agrawal said that the feedback from his customers has been excellent. Assuming consumers are willing to pay the premium price, he plans to purchase at least one more container in the near future.

“But next time, I will require that the shipment carry SSGA’s U.S. Identity Preserved logo,” he said.

To capitalize on the momentum of this sale, SSGA plans to host a technical and trade seminar later this year.

 

NCI to host on-demand and in-person soyfoods courses in 2024

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The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) will be hosting a variety of soyfoods courses in 2024, including; High Oleic Soyfoods, IP/Food Grade Soybean Procurement, INTSOY, and Plant-Based Texturized Protein Products. These courses offer opportunities to learn from both academic and industry professionals about soy from field to plate.

2024 NCI Soyfoods Courses

  • High Oleic Soyfoods (on-demand) course launched January 15, 2024 and is available now
  • IP/Food Grade Soybean Procurement (in-person) course will be held June 17-21, 2024
  • Plant-Based Texturized Protein Products (in-person) course will be held June 25-27, 2024
  • INTSOY (in-person) course will be held August 12-16, 2024

NCI’s on-demand courses allows participants to work through the course at their own pace and includes pre-recorded lectures and demonstrations, as well as a discussion board to ask questions and post comments. In-person courses will be held at the Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, ND, where participants will learn through lectures, presentations, and hands-on demonstrations. The INTSOY course includes visits to South Dakota and Minnesota.

These courses will benefit soy food companies, food R&D staff, dietitians, nutritionists, soy food product processors, personnel in the food industry, and more. Both domestic and international participants are welcomed to attend these courses.

“NCI’s soybean and soyfoods courses provide training to help participants learn about the quality of identity preserved (IP) food grade soybeans and how to utilize them in a variety of different food products. In-person courses incorporate lectures, activities and hands-on demonstrations so participants learn first-hand from experts how soybean quality impacts processing and final product quality,” says Brian Sorenson, NCI Program Manager.

Learn more about the soyfood courses NCI has to offer at https://www.northern-crops.com/courses.

NCI hosting high oleic soyfoods, soy food procurement courses

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Northern Crops Institute (NCI) recently launched an online course titled “High Oleic Soyfoods.” This online course is designed to introduce uses for high oleic soybean in food products and understand the impact of using high oleic soybean on processing, final product, and nutritional quality.

This course will be conducted using pre-recorded lectures and online activities for participants to complete as schedules allow during the length of the course. An ongoing Q&A discussion board and an opportunity for live interaction with presenters will be incorporated.

This course will benefit soy food companies, food R&D staff, dieticians, nutritionists and more!

This course will be offered online only. The deadline to register is Dec. 31, 2023. Learn more and register at this link.

NCI is planning their Food Soy Procurement Course for the week of June 17, 2024. SSGA members are encouraged to invite customers or prospective customers to take the course to learn about sourcing and purchasing high quality, identity preserved soybeans for food products. The course will begin in Fargo, N.D. and end in the Minneapolis area. NCI will also host Introduction to Soybean Course (INTSOY) starting on Aug. 12, 2024. Please reach out to Brian Sorenson at NCI for any questions about the 2024 courses.

Growth and opportunities in South Korea

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By Hoa Huynh for SSGA

South Korea continues to be an important market for U.S. high quality soybeans and specialty grains. Exports of $712 million of corn, $462 million of soybeans, and $392 million of distillers grains are in the top ten exports of U.S. agricultural products to Korea in 2022. The 10-year growth of corns, soybeans, and distillers grains are 118%, 65% and 212%, respectively. There is still plenty of room for food grade soybeans such as identity preserved (IP) soybeans and specialty grains such as popcorn.

Korean food manufacturers and imported have strong interests in U.S. IP soybeans and specialty grains which reflected in the participation of more than a dozen food producers and buyers at SSGA Identity Preserved International Summit in Hawaii in January 2023. However, it’s essential for SSGA members to follow up on their conversations with these participants by visiting Korea to provide trade servicing to strengthen and expand their interests in SSGA products.

SSGA encourages interested U.S. exporters to apply to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agribusiness trade mission to Seoul, South Korea, March 25-28, 2024.

The USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Alexis Taylor, will lead the agribusiness trade mission. The trade mission will offer U.S. agribusinesses the potential to increase or expand their food and agricultural exports to the region. While in Seoul, participants will engage in two days of business-to-business meetings with potential importers, processors and distributors. Additionally, attendees will receive in-depth market briefings from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and industry trade experts to better understand market dynamics and consumer trends, as well as participate in site visits and other networking opportunities.

Learn more and apply by Dec. 18 at this link.

(Source:  FAS/Seoul reports)

SSGA sees potential in Southeast Asia

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Southeast Asia is a growing market with great potential for high-value crops from the United States, including those processed and exported by Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance members. Because of that strong interest in the region, SSGA Manager of Strategic Programs Shane Frederick recently traveled there, participating in the USDA Agribusiness Trade Mission to Malaysia and Singapore following meetings with importers and food manufacturers in Vietnam.

Frederick promoted the U.S Identity Preserved assurance plan, brand mark and labeling program and represented SSGA member companies, talking about the high-quality, food-grade field crops they supply.

“While in Vietnam, I had the chance to visit six different companies and update them almost exactly one year after our international launch of U.S. Identity Preserved brand in Ho Chi Minh City,” Frederick said. “They continue to show interest in U.S. soy and grains and want to learn more, whether it’s through our SSGA University courses, activities such as the Identity Preserved International Summit or by receiving sample from SSGA members.”

Frederick emphasized that now is the time for customers to talk to suppliers about contracting for the 2024 crop.

Those same messages were delivered during the USDA trade mission, as Frederick moved from Ho Chi Minh City to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then to Singapore. Frederick participated in the business-to-business sessions at the two locations, meeting with about 10 companies from the region.

Two SSGA members also participated in the meetings, WeFARM Organics (represented by SSGA board director and past chair Rob Prather) and Hang Tung Resources.

Rob Prather discusses identity preserved soy products.
Rob Prather discusses identity preserved soy products.
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Besides the business meetings, participants had the opportunity hear from USDA Under Secretary Alexis M. Taylor and Foreign Agriculture Service officials from the region, listen to importers and exporters operating there and go on tours, including to the Port of Singapore, one of the largest and busiest container ports in the world.

Taylor said that there is a major focus on Southeast Asia as a region to diversify U.S. agricultural exports. As a region, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines, is the world’s fourth-largest market. The U.S is Malaysia’s third-largest supplier of ag products to Singapore and seventh-largest to Malaysia, totaling $1.7 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively.

“One point heard several times during the event was: Everyone is rushing to Southeast Asia because they see the opportunity,” Frederick said. “Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia are some of the most important countries in the region for U.S. products. U.S. brands are well-regarded, and their young populations are receptive to new products and willing to try them. But it takes time, as each country is different and complicated.”

In all, leaders from three state agriculture departments and 29 agribusinesses and organizations accompanied Taylor on the trade mission, which took place Oct. 30-Nov. 3 with the goal of expanding export opportunities for U.S. food and farm products to the region.

SSGA members not currently in the U.S. Identity Preserved certification program should apply here and/or reach out to Frederick for more information.

SSGA applauds USDA investment to diversify export markets

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The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) applauds the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announced intention for new programs to help U.S. farmers maintain and diversify export markets and bolster international food aid. USDA announced that it will utilize funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to address trade and food insecurity challenges. USDA will use $1.3 billion for the Regional Agriculture Promotion Program (RAPP) and support for specialty crop industries to diversify export markets. One billion was allocated to address global hunger.

SSGA Vice Chair Darwin Rader attended Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement of the investments.

“Secretary Vilsack’s announcement matches the purpose of groups like SSGA that expand markets, help small businesses and look for new ways to promote agriculture,” Rader said. “The farmers we work with want the high-quality options to grow quality soybeans and grains and earn a premium. Thanks to SSGA, the high-quality containerized trade gets more attention and focus.”

The $1.3 billion investment in RAPP will help exporters break into new markets and increase market share in growth markets, as well as provide technical assistance to the specialty crops industry to help it enter markets often imposed by non-tariff barriers.

“SSGA’s job is to influence buyers and food manufacturers to make increasing choices for variety and characteristic-specific, traceable soybeans and grains,” said Eric Wenberg, SSGA executive director. “Containerized grains help preserve buyer specifications in transit and assure quality at delivery.”

In 2019, SSGA leveraged an Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) grant from USDA with its own resources to begin operations and develop U.S. Identity Preserved. Following extensive market research that helped shape the brand, U.S. Identity Preserved launched in 2021 as an eight-step quality assurance process and label that promotes traceable, high-quality soybeans and grains. SSGA used the funds in association with the U.S. Soybean Export Council and American Soybean Association.

“SSGA successfully used USDA market development funds under the prior ATP program,” SSGA Chair Bob Sinner said. “New funds for new ideas like SSGA’s to promote traceable, quality food ingredients direct to international buyers from rural America should be part of the solution to grow exports. SSGA believes that the nation needs to come together to pass a Farm Bill with increases for export development programs to help grow business.”

Read the USDA press release here.

HQSG program reaches 700 submissions, open for more participants

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In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) launched the High Quality Specialty Grains (HQSG) inspection program. The audit-based program, administratively supported by SSGA, has completed more than 700 inspection reports, used for phytosanitary certificate applications for containerized exports of high-quality soybeans to a dozen countries. This program saves grain facility users time and money when exporting their high quality, specialty grains for human consumption. The program helps rural, small businesses that export comply with USDA requirements for phytosanitary inspection.

SSGA negotiated the program with APHIS on behalf of U.S. exporters after successfully supporting APHIS in 2020 to delay the implementation of Japan’s requirement of a phytosanitary certificate for all U.S.-origin grains and oilseeds. With Japan’s requirement now in effect since August 2023, the HQSG program aids in the phytosanitary report process for U.S.-grown soybeans exported in containers for human consumption or processing for human consumption and may be used for any importing country requiring a phytosanitary certificate. USDA saw the extra burden coming for high quality exporters and found a way to provide a new opportunity.

Any U.S. grain facility that exports high quality soybeans for human consumption can be eligible to participate in the program. SSGA staff will guide accepted users throughout the compliance, quality assurance review, inspection and training requirements before helping them formally implement the program with APHIS. If your company is interested in using the program, please contact SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg at 507-613-0780 or ewenberg@soyagrainsalliance.org.

Weed control in soybeans: How to win the battle in 2024

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By David Kee, SSGA Agronomy action team Staff Lead/Director of Research, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council

Herbicide resistant weeds have taken the stage in the continued doom and gloom stories from the popular press. However, those articles forget that weed control is – and always has been – a constant battle in agriculture. I remember stories from my grandfather of a 12-year-old boy thinking the 1916 battlefields of Europe couldn’t be any worse than “choppin’ cotton” in the sweat-soaked environment of a mid-July east Texas cotton field.

At one time, quackgrass was one of the primary weeds in short stature crops (soybeans, etc.), as it was, and still is, extremely tolerant of any mechanical weed control method. Modern weed control efforts have reduced its impact, but that doesn’t mean quackgrass has gone away. It is just under control using our current technology. Literature from the 1960s indicates waterhemp was a minor weed problem; today, it is a major headache for identity preserved (IP) producers.

What is the take-home message? Weed control is always evolving. Proper identification of the problem and providing an adaptable management program are critical to success. A good manager starts with the basics, and then develops a creative solution to that ever-independent world called “their farm.”

What are the basics?

  1. Scout in the fields. Know your fields, know your crop and know your weeds. Assess the fields for weeds, and other problems, as often as possible. There is no such thing as excessive effective crop scouting. However, ineffective scouting wastes time, money, energy and effort.
  2. Effectively change management. Rotate crops, rotate chemistry, add some forms of mechanical weed control and include cover crops. Don’t do the same thing every time, as that will allow some pest to evolve around a management system.
  3. Scout the perimeter of your fields. Look beyond your field. Are there weeds in the ditches, along the fence line, on your tractor tire, in your combine? Institute effective sanitation activities, mow the buffer area enough times to prevent problem weed from going to seed, amp up the weed control efforts on those rows bordering weed infested areas.
  4. Be effective. Develop and institute an effective weed control program, use both pre and post-emergent herbicides at full recommend rates in a system that rotates Sites of Action (SOA). Remember, Muhammad Ali hit his opponent everywhere, not just on the chin. You have to change up the punches to keep taking out those weeds. Think both strategically and tactically; creative effectiveness becomes critical for success.
  5. Scout for future years. Look back at what you’ve done; think about what you will be doing. Sometimes the best place to scout is at your desk reading your farm diary and contemplating your next step. Ask if your management program worked? If not, why not? What needs to be done next? Scout after canopy closure, the canopy will open again after growth stage 7 as the crop matures, waterhemp and other season-long germinating weeds will pop up and require control efforts.
  6. Be persistent. Weed control is not a once-a-year activity. There is always more than one species of weeds present, weed seed germination is complex and often unpredictable. To be effective over the long run, adopting a zero-tolerance goal will go a long way toward keeping a grower on top of the problem. Keep a diary of activities, review it often and ask yourself if you are being effective? What can be done better? What are you giving up by not controlling any pest at certain times? No decision is trivial and should be approached in a logical manner. Knee-jerk reactions tend to be ineffective.

As with any management program, the basics are just that: the basics. A one-size-fits-all program usually results in a poorly fitted suit. Educate yourself. Use the Take Action on Weeds website developed by the United Soybean Board and weed scientists from 10 states. It provides you with a bounty of information on weed species, herbicide modes of action and will help you create an herbicide plan of action for your farming operation.

The program you develop should be tailored to your individual operation. Talk with Extension, other farmers, your local crop consultant and any other professional whose judgement you trust and develop an effective solution for your operation. Then change it up somewhat from year to year. To be effective, you must evolve as the weeds evolve.

Building relationships – from ‘Fork to Farm’

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The term “fork to farm” still might sound backwards to some, but for the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) and its members who supply food-grade soybeans, including those labeled with the U.S. Identity Preserved mark, it’s all forward thinking.

On Saturday, Aug. 12, SSGA brought the fork to the farm with its second Fork to Farm Day of the summer, this time hosting an Asian trade team in west-central Wisconsin, a hotbed of food-grade, identity preserved soybeans. The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) sponsored the event.

“A lot of varieties can grow in Wisconsin,” said Scott Sinner, partner with SSGA-member SB&B Foods, a North Dakota-based company with a facility in Bloomer, Wis. “They ship out of Minneapolis, and farmers here have the same attitude: They know what’s needed for a safe, reliable crop.”

The trade team came to the U.S. via the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) and included visitors from Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kazakhstan and Myanmar. The group, which over the previous five days participated in Northern Crops Institute’s INTSOY course, traveling around North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, added the Fork to Farm event to its travel itinerary, first stopping at SB&B where it heard presentations and remarks from Sinner and representatives of SSGA, WSMB and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).

“Events like Fork to Farm help form the beginnings of relationships,” said Mark Rhoda-Ries, director of the DATCP’s Export and Business Development Bureau. “With relationships, you can build trust, and with trust, you can build business.”

Andy Bensend, a farmer from Dallas, Wis., a director on the WSMB and a former SSGA board director, agreed.

“Relationships are critical to our success,” he told the visitors. “We rely on our customers overseas. We need to understand what brings value to you in your business that can help you succeed. We’re always learning, always curious, always trying to do better. … All of the spokes to this wheel have to fit together to help you receive what you are looking for.”

The group took a tour of SB&B’s food-grade processing facility and learned from Plant General Manager Tim Mohr, about the strict testing, sampling and other quality assurances the company follows in its identity preserved processes. It then went to a nearby restaurant for a networking lunch before going to Rooney Farms, a family-owned and operated farm and grain storage facility in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

There, they visited a nearby food-grade soybean field and talked to farm agronomist Ted Hilgerson and then got an up-close-and-personal look at the farm’s heavy equipment, workshops and storge bins.

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Among their crops, Rooney Farms grows identity preserved soybeans that are delivered just 15 minutes up the road to SB&B. Bensend also grows for SB&B.

“Identity preserved is key to us here in Wisconsin,” Bensend said. “Northwest Wisconsin will continue to be an area where IP production and the diverse agriculture in our state will always be in play for us – because we have the perfect spot to do it.”

The group ended the day with a fun, cultural event, touring Leinenkugel’s, a 155-year-old brewery in Chippewa Falls, and continuing the relationship-building process.

“It’s always a great pleasure to bring our overseas customers in to see our production capacity, our processing and our export business and all the different aspects of them,” Bensend said, “and to build those relationships with the folks who are our customers and who buy our soybeans. It’s just a win-win for everybody.”

The Wisconsin event followed a similar program in Illinois in June and one in Minnesota during the summer of 2022.

“SSGA is grateful for the support from states where identity preserved soybeans and other specialty field crops are prevalent,” said Shane Frederick, SSGA’s manager of strategic programs. “It’s our group’s goal to connect forks around the world to the farms and businesses in those states so we can have fruitful conversations and build lasting connections.”

SSGA highlights economic benefits of U.S. Identity Preserved to trade group

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The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) welcomed a small trade group from Cambodia and Myanmar to Fargo, N.D., this week as part of a Food Grade Soybean Procurement Course. The course focused on the various aspects of sourcing and purchasing high-quality identity preserved (IP) soybeans for food products such as tofu, soymilk and tempeh.

“Through this course, our group had the opportunity to learn more about IP soybeans, meet with U.S. exporters and learn more about the quality of the U.S. identity preserved system from the seed to when it arrives at their facility,” said Alan Poock, Asia Division Director for the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH).

As incomes rise in many Asian countries, so does the emphasis on food safety and food quality. Identity preserved provides a way to know the history of the ingredients, including when it’s planted and harvested and where it was stored. This allows the soy consumer to be confident that their soy ingredients are consistently of high quality and handled in a safe way.

For those IP soy purchasers, typically from Asian countries, that confidence in a high-quality product is important, especially since they are paying more for IP than traditional soybeans. However, Shane Frederick, manager of strategic Programs with Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA), spoke to the WISHH group of how SSGA’s U.S. Identity Preserved mark and assurance plan, which was established in 2021, saves significant costs during processing and can increase profits at market.

“One of our big challenges is to convince the foreign buyer that they have to pay more for this variety-specific identity preserved product,” Frederick said, “but, really, when you break things down there is an economic advantage to paying more.”

Along with high quality and variety specificity, the product is already cleaned and sorted, which means that the purchaser will save money during processing on cleaning and sorting costs, as well as equipment maintenance and labor over time. Frederick also reported that higher protein IP varieties can get more bang for their buck and charge more for an overall better product.

NCI’s Food Grade Soybean Procurement Course, which was sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, also gave the participants an inside look into the process of purchasing IP soybeans.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to provide a better understanding of food-grade soybean production in this region of the world and help them understand how to purchase it, who to purchase it from and overall how the system works,” said Northern Crops Institute Program Manager Brian Sorenson. “When they go back to their home country, we want them to have a really good understanding of what it takes to buy IP, as well as take away some of the unknowns and concerns that they may have had about the process.”

In addition to learning about economic advantages to IP, the WISHH trade group learned in-depth about the markets, soy food plant operations and soybean harvest and storage. The delegation also toured various soybean processing facilities and area farms where IP soybeans are grown.

The trade mission wraps up with a trip to Illinois for SSGA’s Fork to Farm event on June 26. Fork to Farm connects the end users of the IP soybeans with farmers who grow the product, and allows potential IP growers to network with current growers and learn more about what it takes to grow IP.