While at the National Association of Farm Broadcaster’s Washington Watch event in Washington, D.C., Farm Director KC Sheperd talked with the United Soybean Board executive committee, communication and education chair, Laurie Isley, about the latest work in the soybean industry.
“We are excited about a couple of different things,” Isley said. “One is the many, many new products that have been used that we know now that soybeans can be used in. Biofuels are certainly a big one. More and more of our soybean oil is going into that, but there are also other products.”
The uses for soybeans products are broad, Isley said, as soybeans are being utilized for tires, plywood, and more.
“Ninety-seven percent of our soybeans go into livestock, so there certainly is a strong partnership there between the soy producers and our livestock producers. We are always doing research at USB to continue to build that market for our meal as well as through our oil. We do some of that through exports and some of that through what we do for our domestic market.’
The United Soybean Board conducts significant research related to health and nutrition, Isley said, aimed at helping farmers with production issues such as resistant weeds.
“(We conduct research in) those kinds of areas where we can do research on a larger scale that we can then get that information back to the farmers,” Isley said. “So, I sit on the communication and education committee. I chair that for USB, and so our goal is to try and get that information- all of the research that is done through USB and get that information back to the farmers.”
One of the biggest wins for USB recently, Isley said, has been through the expansion of export markets.
“We really have been able to open up some markets for farmers, so when we had issues with China, we were able to have other markets that were available for us and look at that,” Isley said. “Some of the research that has been done in things like aquaculture, which we have really not given much though to 15 or 20 years ago. A lot of the research that was funded through USB has really helped that develop as a brand-new market for soy.”
Looking ahead, Isley said she is excited about new opportunities for soy, including routes with biofuels and livestock feed.
“Certainly, the possibility of seeing soy grow as a biofuel is exciting, but some of the work we are doing in researching is just understanding what a quality product it is to be incorporated into livestock feed,” Isley said. “Particularly, we are doing some research with hogs that seems to indicate that using soybean meal not only is a great protein source, but it also seems to increase the rate of gain and also help hogs stay healthier, particularly during those summer months.”
