Soybean processors throughout the world aren’t just buying soybeans for their plants—they are buying oil and protein. This is especially true for soybeans that are exported to China and other Pacific Rim countries. Consider the following:
- China and other Asian countries have typically wanted soybeans with 19 percent oil and 35 percent protein. If the United States can’t supply this quality, these countries could look elsewhere for beans that meet their specifications.
- Soybeans that are exported from South America typically have 1 percent higher protein and more than 1 percent higher oil than the average soybeans produced in the United States.
- Soybeans with low oil and protein bring lower prices in the export market. But, it’s possible to select varieties that yield well and have improved protein and oil profiles.
- Many major soybean processors have premium programs that reward delivering high-oil, high-protein soybeans. For example, both AGP® and CHS, Inc. have programs that reward growers based on the composition of the beans delivered, both for oil and for protein content. The processors sample each load of beans that enters their facility, and pay premiums for loads with oil and protein levels above baseline thresholds. For more information on the CHS, Inc. Premium Soybean program, visit www.chsinc.com, and for the AGP® Component Premium Program details, visit www.agp.com.
CROPLAN GENETICS® brand soybeans are tested each year for protein and oil in samples taken from our Answer Plot® locations across the United States. For varieties with sufficient data, multi-year results from this sampling are listed in our soybean product charts.