Bloomington, Illinois
February 23, 2005
One major
challenge facing Illinois soybean farmers is competing with
high-protein soybeans grown in South America. In recent years,
Asian importers have shown a preference for those South American
soybeans. But a pilot program in 2004 provided an opportunity
for farmers to reverse that trend and provide international
buyers with Illinois soybeans that meet their demands.
The Soybean Quality Rewards
program was co-sponsored by the
Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board and soybean processors ADM
and Bunge. It was designed to help Illinois farmers meet growing
demand for soybeans with increased protein and oil content.
Participating producers who had
enrolled in the pilot program delivered their beans to the Cairo
Bunge facility and the ADM Quincy facility during harvest this
past fall. Farmers earned a premium of 3 to 6 cents for every
bushel, depending on the level of protein, and they were paid
upon verification of protein and oil levels.
“There was little risk for
farmers in participating in the program and virtually no extra
effort. If their beans didn’t meet the minimum protein level of
35.5%, farmers still received the market price,” said Steve
Scates, Chairman of the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board and a
farmer from Shawneetown.
At the ADM, Quincy location,
top-performing varieties in the pilot Soybean Quality Rewards
program included Ag Venture 39J3, Asgrow 3905, Lewis 3915, and
Pioneer 93B68. At the Bunge facility, Cairo, top varieties in
the pilot test included Asgrow 4702, FS HiSoy 3706, and Pioneer
soybean varieties 94M70, 94B54, and 9492.
In response to
the need for increasing the quality of Illinois soybeans and
identifying methods for testing oil and protein levels, the
Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board is partnering with the
University of Illinois and the National Soybean Research
Laboratory to host a national roundtable. “New Frontiers in
Grain Quality Technology and Informatics” has been scheduled for
April 13-15, 2005 in New Orleans, LA. The goal of the roundtable
is to bring together leading industry and academic thinkers
interested in creating and capturing greater value from grain
quality attributes. For more information, visit
www.grainqualitytechnology.org.
The 2005 Illinois Soybean
Quality Rewards Program is open for enrollment through March 31,
2005.
For more information, contact
Judd Hulting, Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board, by phone at
309-663-7692, by e-mail at
hultingj@ilsoy.org, or visit
www.ilsoy.org. |
