July 12, 2011

 

United Soybean Board approves new long-range plan

 

 

United Soybean Board (USB) farmer-leaders recently voted to approve the US soy checkoff's new Long-Range Strategic Plan (LRSP).

 

The plan identifies six areas USB farmer-leaders believe are most critical to maintaining and expanding the US soy industry over the next five years.

 

They include increasing the value of US soymeal and soyoil, ensuring that US soy farmers maintain their freedom to operate, meeting customer needs, protecting the animal-agriculture sector, and investing in transportation infrastructure.

 

USB farmer-directors approved the plan during USB's meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

 

"The soy industry has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, and USB needs some changes as well," said USB Chairman Marc Curtis, a Mississippi soy farmer. "We took a step forward moving USB toward the organization it needs to be to address the modern world."

 

In addition, USB farmer-leaders approved projects to increase focus on production research on the soy genome, and to increase emphasis on specific, targeted international markets.

 

Curtis said the checkoff has supported research that led to the sequencing of the soy genome, and the next steps will be to identify the function of each gene.

 

"Additional research on the soy genome will allow us to increase efficiency in plant breeding," said Curtis. "This will allow researchers to change the plant in ways that could improve composition and help increase yields."

 

Picking targeted markets will allow USB to focus its efforts for the maximum impact, said Curtis.

 

Farmer-leaders also determined the direction of USB's fiscal year that starts October 1, 2011, with specific recommendations for each of the checkoff's program areas, including Communications, Domestic Marketing, International Marketing, Production Research, and New Uses Development.

 

USB is made up of 69 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soy checkoff on behalf of all US soy farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply.

 

As stipulated in the Soy Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.