Soybean Symposium

On Thursday the Minnesota Soybean and Research Promotion Council and the University of Minnesota hosted the Annual Soybean Symposium at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The major theme of the Soybean symposium was exports and the quality of Minnesota soybeans. About 60 percent of all the soybeans produced in the United States are exported onto the world market. Soybeans grown in the upper Midwest are a typically a little lower in crude protein. Our competitors in Brazil and Argentina use this as a sales tactic around the world saying their beans are superior.

While it is true our beans are a little lower in crude protein, when you consider the essential amino acids our soybeans are actually higher than those produced in South America. Crude protein is nothing more than a measurement of nitrogen times a factor of 6.25. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council funded a study to look at the essential amino acids of our soybeans. So, when you analyze how our soybeans actually perform when fed to livestock they are better.

This information is now being used by our soybean marketers around the world. The project was named the Essential Amino Acid Project or EAA. This is an example of the Minnesota Soybean and Research Promotion Council investing check-off dollars in research to add value to Minnesota Soybean Farmers Bottom Lines!