The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated their estimates for soybean and soybean meal production with a 2009 crop year production estimate of 3.3 billion bushels for soybeans and 40.4 million tons of meal. U.S. production of soybeans compared to last year is expected to be about 12 percent higher, and crush and exports only slightly higher than the 2008 crop year levels.

The total supply of soybean meal will meet the feed industries needs. While soybean meal exports are anticipated to increase by over 12 percent, domestic meal use is level due in part to the economy.

Soybean Production Data

(*) Marketing year beginning September 1 for soybeans and October 1 for meal;
(**) Estimate and (***) Projection

Reference: U.S.D.A. Economic Research Service, World Agricultural Supply and
Demand Estimates; WASDE-478-15, January 12, 2010

2009 Soybean Quality Report
The American Soybean Association and the U.S. Soybean Export Council have supported a survey on the quality of the U.S. soybean crop since 1986. This survey is intended to provide new crop quality data to aid international customers with their purchasing decisions for the upcoming year.

According to the January 10, 2010 United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) crop report, the total US soybean production area is expected to increase slightly (2.5 percent) from last year to 76.4 million acres harvested. With average soybean yields expected to be higher than in 2008 (39.7 vs. 44 bu/acre), total U.S. soybean production is expected to be 3.361 billion bushels or 91.7 million metric tons. If realized this will be the largest soybean crop in history. However, due to late season harvest difficulties, a reduction in the estimated total production is expected.

The quality of the 2009 US soybean crop is assessed by providing approximately 7,000 soybean producers sampling kits. The producers were selected based on total land devoted to soybean production in each state, so that response distribution would closely match soybean production. Due to difficult harvest conditions throughout the U.S., only 1,602 samples were received by Nov. 16, 2009. These samples were analyzed for protein and oil concentration by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) using a Perten DA7200 diode array instrument (Huddinge, Sweden) equipped with calibration equations developed by Perten in cooperation with the University of Minnesota. Regional and national average protein values were determined by computing weighted averages using state and regional soybean production values, so that average values better represent the crop as a whole. Results can be found in the following table.