The United Soybean Board met virtually on February 17th to define strategies and goals to strengthen soy?s position in the U.S. and global marketplaces.
USB?s financial stewardship and program development responsibilities include investing in projects to promote the sustainability of U.S. soy as a market differentiator domestically and to build new markets abroad. In addition, the soy checkoff funds education to enhance end-user awareness of soy products as well as research to strengthen the resilience of soybean production, improve meal quality and develop new uses for soybean oil.
United Soybean Board Director Tom Oswald of Cleghorn, Iowa is Chair of the Supply Action Team. He says the February meeting served as another part of USB?s Value Creation Framework process.
?If you look at this February meeting that we just came off from,? Oswald said, ?we farmers had already before our meeting last week had a number of virtual meetings to start getting an idea of these priorities meaning what have we been doing, where do we want to be, and how has the environment changed. We?ve already got 500 pre-proposals starting to come in for work for 2022.?
Between now and USB?s next meeting in July, checkoff farmer-leaders will review the proposals in detail to determine strategic fit ahead of making their final FY22 project portfolio recommendations.
?We want to grow beans better,? Oswald said. ?That?s that yield component that farmers are always looking for ? yield and yield protection. But we also want to grow the quality of beans, characteristics, and the story that goes with it so that people want to buy our beans. Let?s face it, if you don?t grow a bean you can?t sell a bean, but if you don?t have a market you can?t profitably grow beans. It?s a circle that never ends and that?s always on the mindset at USB.?
More information from the February meeting can be found at unitedsoybean.org.
