May 1, 2013

For the past 50 years, US soymeal seems to be the favoured form of feed of Japanese poultry and soymeal imports are expected to skyrocket, according to the USDA.

It may come as good news for US soy farmers, since US Census figures show Japan is the second largest buyer of US soymeal, in Asia.

According to the USDA, Japanese soymeal imports are expected to increase to 2.370 million tonnes in the 2012-13 marketing year. That is the meal from more than 110 million bushels of soy and an increase from 2.282 million tonnes in the 2011-12 marketing year.

"United Soy Board (USB) research is creating a body of information showing soymeal produced from US soy has consistently higher quantities of the five essential amino acids," says Scott Singlestad, a USB farmer-leader who raises soy and corn in Waseca, Minn. "That's given US soymeal a higher feeding value over its competitors."

Singlestad discussed the value of US soymeal compared with soymeal from other parts of the world with poultry farmers, feed manufacturers and soy processors recently at meetings in Japan.

Gonzalo Mateos, from the University of Madrid in Spain, also told Japanese buyers about the advantages of US soymeal over soymeal the EU imports from other countries.