The U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided preliminary estimates for the 2011/12 crop year. It is interesting to compare the last four crop years. Total soybean production peaked in the 2009/10 crop year Production was reduced in the present crop year because of both fewer acres planted and low yield due to weather conditions. We will have estimates for the next crop year. (2012/2013) soon and it will be discussed in our next newsletter. We anticipate the total acres planted to soybeans will be close to the past year and soybean yields will be higher (43-45) assuming a “normal” crop year and timely rains.

The bushels of soybeans crushed have not changed greatly over the past four growing seasons.  These values really reflect the total supply of soybeans; if soybeans are produced, they will be either crushed or exported.  Soybeans produced in the U.S. make up about one-third of the world’s total production which is vital to the world’s production of meat, milk and eggs.

U.S. Soybean Production and Soybean Meal Use

Reference: U.S.D.A. Economic Research Service, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates; WASDE-503, February 9, 2012

New Soybean Meal Quality Research
U.S. Soybean Export Council has contracted with the Monogastric Research Centre, Massey University, in Palmerston North, New Zealand to determine nutritional value of soybean meals produced in different regions, with the aim of differentiating U.S. dehulled soybean meal from other suppliers of soybean meal.  Representative samples of soybean meal were collected and analyzed, using standard methods, for moisture, crude protein, ash, crude fiber, ether extract, apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn ) and ileal digestible amino acids for broilers, contents of sugar, reactive lysine, neutral detergent fiber (NDF)  and non starch polysaccharides (NSP), protein solubility index and urease activity.

A preliminary report on the research was presented at the International Poultry Expo in Atlanta, GA. on January 25, 2012.  The study will be expanded with additional samples, however, the initial report was revealing since there are differences between the soybean meals from various countries.  These differences are probably due to differences in environment (weather conditions), genetics (varieties) and soybean meal processing procedures.  This table provides the average values for the various measurements and a standard deviation.  The values are expressed on a dry matter basis, in order to make comparisons between samples of different origin.