World production of soybeans is predicted to be about 2% lower than last marketing year due to reduced production in South America and China. U.S. soybean production is estimated slightly greater than the 2009/10 marketing year. The most revealing is the increased soybean meal use levels in China and India. Most countries are increasing their use of soybean meal compared to relative level demand for meal in the United States. The World’s economy, population growth, and food needs will continue to impact soybean markets; a growing need for meat, milk and eggs will require an expanding supply of soybeans and meal.

World Soybean Production (Million Metric Tons)*


World Soybean Meal Total Domestic Use (Million Metric Tons)*

(*)Data based on local marketing years except Argentina and Brazil which are adjusted to an October-September year; (**) Estimate, (***) Projected and (****) Percent change from previous year.

Reference: U.S.D.A. Economic Research Service, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates; WASDE-487, October 8, 2010

Amino Acid Digestibilities of Soybean Products
An experiment was conducted to determine the apparent (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein and amino acids in weanling pigs of four soybean products, fish meal, and casein. The four soybean products were conventional dehulled soybean meal (SBM), soy protein isolate (SPI), fermented soybean meal (FSBM), and enzyme-treated soybean meal (ESBM). Seven weanling barrows (initial BW of about 10.9 kg) were individually fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum. The barrows were allotted to a 7 x 7 Latin square design with 7 diets and 7-day periods. Six cornstarch-based diets were prepared using each of the protein sources as the sole source of crude protein and amino acids. An N-free diet was used to measure basal endogenous losses of crude protein and amino acids.

Results showed that except for Lysine, the AID and SID of amino acids in FSBM were not different from SBM, and with a few exceptions, the AID and SID of most amino acids in SBM, FSBM, and ESBM were not different from each other and from the AID and SID of the amino acids in fish meal. Likewise, the AID and SID of amino acids in ESBM and SPI were not different, but the AID and SID of most amino acids in SPI were greater (P < 0.05) than in SBM and FSBM. The AID and SID of most amino acids in SPI were not different from the AID and SID of amino acids in casein. The research group concluded that the fermented soybean meal and the enzyme-treated soybean meal had similar ileal digestibilities of most amino acids compared to conventional dehulled soybean meal, whereas, soy protein isolate had the highest ileal digestibilities of amino acids among the four soybean products.

S. K. Cervantes-Pahm and Hans H. Stein. 2010. Ileal digestibility of amino acids in conventional, fermented, and enzyme-treated soybean meal and in soy protein isolate, fish meal, and casein fed to weanling pigs. J. Animal Sci. 88:2674-2683.