The American Soybean Association and the US Export Council recently published the results of their annual quality survey of the 2007 soybean crop.  The purpose of the survey is to assist international customers with purchasing decisions and to compare the current crop compositional characteristics to previous years.  This year, 1,865 soybean samples were analyzed and the results indicated that the average protein content was 0.9% higher and the average oil content was 0.5% lower compared to the 2006 soybean crop.  Regional differences followed similar trends and were relatively similar to the 2006 crop.

Using the average compositional values for the state, one can calculate the estimated process value (EPV).  EPV provides a relative measure of the value of products that could be produced from a bushel of soybeans containing those compositional traits.  EPV also reflects environmental conditions favorable for producing soybeans with higher levels of protein and oil.