SSGA tours Port of Duluth

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The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance experienced a closer look at the burgeoning shipping opportunities at the Port of Duluth-Superior during a visit with four Moroccan buyers as part of a trade mission led by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).

SSGA Manager of Strategic Programs Shane Frederick visited SSGA members Hansen-Mueller and Duluth Seaway Port Authority during the tour of the Hansen-Mueller Elevator in Duluth.

“You’re seeing history here,” Facility Manager Jeff Blaskowski said of Hansen-Mueller, which acquired the facility in 2022 after several years of vacancies. “This is a cool, old elevator.”

The Hansen-Mueller facility can store 3.5 million bushels of grain and stands 195 feet above the bar. The site also supports nine legs and has a nearly 2,000-foot dock and on-dock rail service from BNSF Railway. The facility was built in the late 1800s – “You’re not going to see a lot of automation here – yet,” Blaskowski said – and can export small grains, plus soybeans and meal, from the United States and Canada to both domestic and international customers.

Following the Hansen-Mueller visit, the delegation, which included buyers from Morocco’s feed milling industry, toured the Port of Duluth-Superior.

Though the port still ships about a million tons of grain annually – wheat and beet pulp pellets are some of the top exported commodities – iron ore is far and away the most popular material exported from the Port of Duluth-Superior, which first opened for commercial shipping over 150 years ago. The port is the continent’s furthest inland seaport and the highest-ranking port on the Great Lakes, attracting about 900 vessels each year. Shippers prefer shipping via Duluth-Superior party because traffic is uncongested; traffic on the Seaway could double and ships and barges would still flow freely.

“The great thing about the Great Lakes is we can offer a diversified supply chain for many of these shippers utilizing the coast,” said Kate Ferguson, director of trade and business development with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “So many companies want to diversify their risks, and we know the Great Lakes can be a reliable chain.”

Grain shipments at the port dipped by 20% in 2022, the port’s smallest grain throughput since 1890. The port hasn’t moved soybeans in about five years, and overall grain exports could drop again in 2023.

“It was great to visit with our members, and see the potential shipping opportunities at the Hansen-Mueller facility in Duluth,” Frederick said “We appreciated the opportunity to visit the Port of Duluth-Superior and tell our story.” 

SSGA presents at Indian Plant Based Foods Summit

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On May 24-29, SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg visited India as a guest of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), accompanying USSEC CEO Jim Sutter and Regional Director Kevin Roepke. The team spoke at the second annual Plant Based Foods Summit, organized by the Plant Based Foods Industry Association, held meetings and tours in New Delhi and Bhopal, visited the U.S. Embassy and staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service and Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) staff. USSEC and SSGA have coordinated activities and market access plans in India for three years, trying to open the market for food grade soybeans and products.

With a protein deficit and a significant population that practices vegetarianism, India has an unmet demand in soy and other plant-based foods. The country has a dynamic entrepreneurial food manufacturing industry, filled with startups finding new dishes, tastes and combining Indian tradition with popular new foods. This is all borne out by the Plant Based Food Industry Association and its dynamic leader Sanjay Sethi. Sethi spent the day of the conference speaking, presenting awards and meeting with startups seeking business advice. The conference also included cooking demonstrations and a trade show. The dialogue on plant-based foods directly parallels the USSEC-supported Right to Protein campaign, which helps India understand how its health and diet can be improved with soy and protein, and advocates for better wellness for the population.

Wenberg helped the team with what SSGA does best: providing expertise and technical background on market access and strategies to promote U.S. soy in food manufacturing. Wenberg also discussed SSGA’s High Quality Specialty Grain program operated with USDA APHIS and its U.S. Identity Preserved Assurance Plan to provide education and market opportunities even in difficult-to-access places like India.

U.S. Soybean Export Council CEO Jim Sutter and Eric Wenberg.
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The SSGA and USSEC team especially enjoyed their tour of Bionutrients, Inc., a tofu, soymilk powder and ingredients production facility. India manufacturers use products from Bionutrients to make their own soy milks, soy-based yogurts and ice creams. The team had a tour of the world class facilities with world class tastes. It was clear that more high-quality U.S. soy would be a financial and capacity benefit to Bionutrients. The owner, Mr. Sumit Agarwal, is a U.S. Identity Preserved program supporter, speaking at SSGA’s international launch of the program in Vietnam in November 2022. Sutter and Wenberg planted a tree together at Bionutrients factory at the request of Agarwal, to express everyone’s desire to make opportunities grow in India.

Manufacturers like Bionutrients and others face market barriers to importing U.S. soy, such as high tariffs, even while the nation imports manufactured soyfoods, holding back job creation in its domestic economy. USSEC and SSGA look forward to continuing their partnership to gain market access for U.S. food grade soybeans and products to India.

High Quality Specialty Grains inspection program can aid phytosanitary requirement

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Japan’s new requirement for a phytosanitary certificate for U.S. origin shipments of soybeans and soybean meal begins on Aug. 5, 2023. This requirement by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries applies to all shipments landing in Japan on or after that date. Shipments without a phytosanitary certificate will be rejected.

SSGA successfully negotiated to delay implementation of this requirement for three years, and, over that time, worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as APHIS developed a stronger process approach for inspections of high-quality grains and oilseeds grown in the United States and exported for human consumption or processed for human consumption and are shipped bagged or bulk in containers.

APHIS’s High Quality Specialty Grains (HQSG) inspection program, is now up in running – in time for Japan’s new phytosanitary requirement.

This process-oriented, audit-based program helps our small, rural businesses reduce costs in their applications for phytosanitary certificates while also providing effective oversight through compliance with APHIS.

More information about the HQSG program and its requirements and procedures is available in the updated USDA Export Manual, beginning on page 157 of the linked PDF.

Grain facilities interested in participating should contact SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg for more information on registration requirements and to request application materials at 507-385-7577 or ewenberg@soyagrainsalliance.org.

SSGA thanks APHIS for establishing the program and thanks the Illinois Soybean Association, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board for their support in the development of this program.

NCI to host soybean courses

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The Northern Crop Institute will host two soybean courses this summer. Industry members and processors of soy foods, foreign and domestic, are encouraged to attend either course in Fargo, N.D. SSGA members are encouraged to invite their customers or potential customers.

Follow the links below for more information on the courses and to register.

The Food-Grade Soybean Procurement focuses on sourcing and purchasing high quality, identity preserved soybeans for food products. The course will be held June 19-23. Learn more here.

INTSOY (Introduction to Soybean) course will be held Aug. 7-11. This course provides an overview of many aspects of the soy industry, including new ideas for soy-based foods, soy as a supplement to fortify foods, soy as animal nutrition and an overview of U.S. soy production. Learn more at this link.

Please email brian.sorenson@ndsu.edu with questions on the courses.

SSGA will hold Fork to Farm Day events at the end of these courses; in Illinois in conjunction with the Illinois Soybean Association on June 26 and in Wisconsin with the support of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board on Aug. 12.

IP Farming course now available at SSGA University

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The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance’s online learning modules, SSGA University, continue to expand.

All that’s missing now is a mascot!

Last week, SSGA University added a new module to its curriculum, a farmer-focused course on growing identity preserved crops.

The new module is a quick, easy and affordable way for farmers curious about or who may be interested in growing identity preserved soybeans and other specialty crops. Those who take the course, learn about what the identity preserved system is and why identity preserved crops are worth growing. Additionally, there are overviews on traceability, processor relationships, opportunities and challenges and best practices for growing identity preserved field crops.

After successfully complete the course, they receive a certificate and a technical manual that allows them to take a deeper dive into the topic.

“As the U.S. looks to expand identity preserved acres, farmers need more information on what their options are and how they might get started,” said Shane Frederick, SSGA’s manager of strategic programs. “This new SSGA University course provides a primer so they can consider identity preserved  as part of their production.”

Launched in fall of 2021, SSGA University now has learning modules that cover the “IP Highway” or full identity preserved system, as well as ones that cover the value of purchasing identity preserved soybeans for foods such as tofu and soymilk; miso and natto; tempeh; soybean meal, soy flours, protein concentrates and isolates; and buying decisions and technical information on identity preserved specialty and ancient grains. There is also a course on containerized shipping and one that covers SSGA’s phytosanitary project and trains companies enrolled in the High Quality Specialty Grain program.

To enroll in an SSGA University program, go to ssga-university.thinkific.com. Cost for the new Growing Identity Preserved Crops course is $100. Foreign customers may be eligible for discounted course costs. Please reach out to Shane Frederick for more information at sfrederick@soyagrainsalliance.org.

SSGA pitches U.S. Identity Preserved in Dubai

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SSGA had the honor of presenting at “Pitch2Fork,” an investor/start-up meeting in Dubai on Dec. 14-15. The event was hosted by Right to Protein and supported by U.S. Soy. The agenda included a lineup of entrepreneurs and start-ups who showcased impactful ideas and success stories in the food, nutrition, and agri-technology space. The event brought together the community of start-ups, investors, mentors and academicians who aimed to solve challenges in nutrition security.

SSGA was invited by USSEC to present, and SSGA adviser and identity preserved expert and farmer Raquel Hansen, spoke about identity preserved and introduced the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan and brand program to the audience. Hansen’s message explained how IP is the “value that adds value,” because, despite premiums paid for identity preserved field crops, the operational benefits outweigh those initial costs.

In a “Shark Tank”-type format, five different start-up companies from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan pitched their company and business plan in front of six judges of the International Delegation of Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, along with approximately 90 attendees hand-selected to represent capital investment firms, food and nutrition companies and agri-technology companies throughout the South Asia and the Sub-African region. Other speakers presented on the future of agriculture, U.S. Soy and Sustainability, ESG (environmental, social, and governance), plant-based foods, and blockchain and cryptocurrency in agriculture.

This format was very intriguing and interactive, Hansen said, allowing for networking activities to reach companies throughout the developing region. SSGA was privileged to be a part of the program supporting activities around identity preserved grains and oilseeds.

“Right to Protein” is India’s first awareness initiative to educate citizens about the importance of adequate protein consumption for better nutrition, health and wellbeing. SSGA and its members are proud to be a part of the initiative!

U.S. Identity Preserved gets international launch

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In December 2021, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) launched a new mark, designating premium crops with verifiable origins. The U.S. Identity Preserved quality assurance plan and brand mark symbolizes a significant advancement in the verification of trust, traceability and value for food manufacturers, processors and exporters. Since the unveiling, 10 U.S. companies have joined the program and are using the mark – with several more companies currently going through the application and qualification process.

It’s now time to officially introduce U.S. Identity Preserved to the world:

On Nov. 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, SSGA will hold a special event to launch the U.S. Identity Preserved brand internationally and build global awareness of the assurance plan that ensures the high quality that comes from the U.S. system. Please join us for an in-person media and industry event at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers or online, as the launch will be broadcast throughout the region and the world via YouTube.

“We’re excited to come to Vietnam and launch the U.S. Identity Preserved brand there and throughout the region where there is a growing market for high-quality, variety-specific soybeans and grains,” said Eric Wenberg, SSGA executive director. “While these products may cost more than conventional crops, they provide efficiencies that save time and money during production. We’re looking forward to telling that story in person to an international audience.”

As food producers seek higher quality and better consistency in their ingredients and consumers focus on traceability and safety in the foods they purchase, U.S. Identity Preserved products fulfill those wants and needs.

“The mission of U.S. Identity Preserved is to bring together the United States’ IP industry and establish the U.S. as a quality origin for identity preserved crops,” said Bob Sinner, president of SB&B Foods, one of the first companies to join the U.S. Identity Preserved program. “The assurance plan highlights the great care and attention to detail that goes into every shipment of our high-quality, premium agriculture products and ingredients.”

The November 1st press event will include in-person-only business-to-business meetings and offer networking opportunities between U.S. exporters and Vietnamese and other southeast Asian importing companies. The following day, SSGA will offer presentations on the U.S. Identity Preserved system and go further in depth on the quality, characteristics and performance customers can expect from specialty soybeans and grains from the United States. Please join us on November 1-2 in person or on-line.

Learn more and register for the event here.

SSGA goes globetrotting

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The second half of 2022 will be one of outreach for the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance. Travel is underway, as SSGA spreads the message of high quality to our customers abroad. This week already, SSGA Chair Rob Prather is on the road, traveling to Vietnam along with Hoa Huynh, technical adviser for Southeast Asia.

Following their visit with Vinasoy, a Vietnamese soymilk and soy drink producer, Huynh believes the prospect of Vinasoy importing U.S. Identity Preserved soybeans to be high. Vinasoy staff recently returned from the Food Grade Soybean Procurement Course at Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, N.D. Prather and Huynh also met with Dabaco, a feed and food production company and have more visits planned.

Next week, Prather will meet up with Manager of Strategic Programs Shane Frederick in the Philippines for a USDA trade mission to Manila that features several state departments of ag, state and national commodity associations and agribusinesses for tours and business-to-business meetings.

In both countries, SSGA is talking about the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan and brand mark and preparing for an international launch later this year in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

“After spending much of the last two years talking to customers virtually about identity preserved soybeans and specialty grains, we are thrilled to be able to start having those conversations in person,” Frederick said. “This USDA trade mission to Manila and other trips are perfect opportunities to highlight the new U.S. Identity Preserved mark and explain what it represents – the great care, commitment and close attention that IP farmers, processors and shippers undertake to fulfill the needs of their customers.”

In the coming months, SSGA technical advisers Alyson Segawa (North Asia) and Philip Shull (South Asia) will be traveling to Japan and India and Nepal, respectively, along with board directors, and our alliance is looking ahead to more opportunities in the future. In India and Nepal, SSGA representatives will participate in three seminars organized by the U.S. Soybean Export Council that will extol the quality and value of U.S. identity preserved soybeans. In addition to meeting with the trade, SSGA will meet with India’s Soy Food Processors Welfare Association (SFPWA) and Foreign Agricultural Service-New Delhi to discuss SFPWA’s efforts to secure a tariff rate quota for food grade soybeans from the Indian government.

Look for reports on each of these trips in future SSGA newsletters.

SSGA addresses buyers in Indonesia

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With food availability a concern in Indonesia, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Agriculture Counselor Rey Santella emphasized the need for the United States and Indonesia to keep trade open to help feed each other in his address at the Asia Soy Excellence & Protein Summit.

SSGA had the opportunity to weigh in on that concern during the conference, hosted by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) June 21-22 in Bali. Presenting virtually, SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg and Chair Rob Prather briefed about 150 attendees on current identity preserved (IP) crop production issues, logistics and container shipping during the hybrid event. Steve Peach, a Michigan farmer and member of the Michigan Soybean Committee, and Troy Berndt, a grower relations specialist in Wisconsin, updated attendees on the 2022 growing season in their respective states/regions.

Attendees were interested to learn about container shipping challenges. While most of these challenges likely will continue into the next shipping season, they are expected to progressively improve. Prather encouraged buyers to order from U.S. exporters as soon as possible, not only to help plan logistics but to allow U.S. farmers ample time to grow IP crops with the exact qualities and characteristics requested by the end users. Ordering IP crops in advance also improves efficiencies in production plans for manufacturers focusing on quality.

Wenberg and Prather also emphasized the importance of partnerships between groups like SSGA and USSEC and how buyers should seek out educational materials, such as SSGA University and the U.S. Soy Excellence Center. Wenberg also spoke of SSGA’s international launch of the U.S. Identity Preserved brand mark, which is scheduled to take place in Southeast Asia in November.

 

U.S. exporters and Chinese importers talk IP

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Nearly 150 people met online on March 30 for an U.S. Identity Preserved webinar and IP B2B meetings between SSGA-member exporters and potential buyers from China.

The event was held in coordination between SSGA, the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA).

Following remarks from USSEC CEO Jim Sutter, CFNA President Cao Derong, U.S. Embassy Beijing Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Bobby Richey and SSGA Executive Director Eric Wenberg, watched and participated in three presentations about U.S. Identity Preserved field crops. SSGA Chair Rob Prather of Global Processing gave an overview of IP soybeans and grains. SSGA Secretary/Treasurer Colby Eymann discussed IP traceability and sourcing and Hua (Elsa) Xu of Hang Tung Resources talked about IP transportation.

“SSGA’s mission is to work with all our partners … to act as your expert in helping you learn how to purchase identity preserved field crops from the United States and how to profit by including them in the food products you manufacture,” Wenberg told the group. “What we are trying to do is explain in a structured way how the high-quality specialty field crop market means paying a bit more in advance can do for you.”

The webinar was followed by IP B2B matchmaking sessions between SSGA member suppliers and Chinese food manufacturers. Those who were not involved in the B2B meetings stayed on and participated in Q&A to learn more about U.S. Identity Preserved practices and efficiencies.