The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is prioritizing relationships that support soybean growers’ bottom line. Recent connections in Latin America are just a start.
Many factors affect a soybean farmer’s bottom line. Arguably the most influential? Demand. Through rising input costs, inconsistent prices and increasing interest rates, the economics will always go back to supply and demand.
How do we support demand? The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC) invests in several efforts to do so, one of which is prioritizing relationships.
“A group of Missouri soybean farmers, Missouri Soybeans staff members and Missouri exporters recently went on a trade mission to Latin America,” says Robert Alpers, MSMC board member and Missouri soybean farmer. “It is always productive to meet our buyers and partners where they are and spend time understanding their needs.”
The cohort spent time further developing mutually beneficial relationships. Alpers says honesty and openness proved to be the best way to share the value of U.S. Soy.
“Although only five of us farmers were on the trade mission, we represented growers throughout the entire state,” he says. “I have found that looking our partners in the eye counts for a lot, and when they looked us in the eye, they saw Missouri soybeans.”
This trade mission to Latin America is one of many examples of MSMC’s interest in the region. Mexico is already the second largest customer of U.S. Soy. Missouri’s proximity allows for ample opportunities to grow relationships while building the preference for U.S. and Missouri soy.
“Kansas City is the second largest rail hub in the U.S., so exporting via rail to Mexico is a strong market that presents opportunity for continued growth,” says Matt Amick, Missouri Soybeans Director of Market Development. “MSMC farmer leaders identified Latin American relationships as an area of focus in their most recent strategic plan because of our close proximity and transportation prospects.” 
On the other side of the state, the “Mighty Mississippi” serves as an option for river transportation, allowing Missouri soybeans to reach Latin American markets in addition to those served by rail.
“We have two amazing transportation hubs, which can move Missouri soybeans across the world,” Amick says. “Missouri soybean farmers are committed to continually supporting that infrastructure to ensure we continue to be an efficient, reliable exporter.”
The recent trade mission to Mexico and Panama builds on previous interactions, both domestically and internationally, with buyers, processors and industry leaders in the region. Amick says that although this trip was the first Missouri-specific trade mission to Latin America, MSMC has been participating in partnerships with other organizations, including Ag Processing Inc and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), for years.
“The mission of this trip was to put Missouri exporters into contact with possible buyers, and we accomplished that,” Alpers says. “The exporters who came with us are putting potential deals together and are just as excited about future opportunities as we are.”
The first stop was in Mexico where the cohort met with two crushers and a feed mill. Topics ranged from high oleic to transportation needs. One of the meetings was with North America’s largest soybean processor, crushing over 320,000 bushels of soybeans per day.
“The largest crusher in North America imports U.S. Soy, and that says something about our quality,” Alpers says. “They mentioned value and transportation availability as benefits to buying our soybeans.”
This soybean processor imports nearly 90% of their soybeans from the Midwest, with 26% coming directly from Missouri.
“We learned of opportunities to protect that market for Missouri soybean farmers,” Amick says. “We want them to continue importing from our state and our region.”
The last stop in Mexico brought the picture full circle. The feed mill participating in the trade mission buys meal from the large crusher to supply poultry and livestock feed in their region.
Moving on to Panama, the group visited the Panama Canal and met with partners in the livestock industry, as well as a large, vertically integrated poultry operation and feed mill. Seeing the Canal in person was sobering, Amick shares, noting its importance to U.S. agriculture and Missouri soybean farmers.
“Fortunately, the U.S. has pretty strong market share in Panama due to our logistical advantage coming from the Gulf,” Amick says. “Panama is importing about 10 million bushels of U.S. Soy per year. Our proximity and quality allow us to be a consistent supplier for the region.”
As domestic crush increases in the U.S., connections with the livestock industry in areas like Panama are becoming more important.
“This trade mission was spent supporting old relationships and building new ones,” Amick says. “There are many opportunities on the horizon as we work with Latin America now and into the future.”
Several of the connections facilitated in Monterrey proved to be the second, or even third, touchpoint between Latin American partners and U.S. Soy. Many of the buyers, processors and industry leaders had been to Missouri on a trade team with USSEC, visiting Alpers’ farm, the Center for Soy Innovation and even the Farm for Soy Innovation. They have seen Missouri soybeans firsthand.
“My family and I have hosted several trade teams from Latin America on our farm,” Alpers says. “We have done it long enough that some of these same people recognize you, and it makes you realize there is a relationship growing.”
Alpers says these relationships allow for open dialogue around U.S. Soy. Popular topics include weed control, planting methods, harvest practices, planting population and more. Buyers have told him they value partnerships they can trust, and Missouri soybean farmers have proven to fit the bill.
He foresees opportunities for growth in the region continuing well into the future. But how do these connections come back to support the Missouri soybean farmer? 
“Selling beans,” Alpers answers. “We have to move the pile to support soybean farmers’ bottom line, and any time we put a few more soybeans from our own state in the pipeline, it helps our basis and supports local prices. This rise in demand could help us sell more Missouri soybeans utilizing local infrastructure we have worked hard to support.”
Although to exporters in can be difficult to differentiate state-by-state for a commodity like soybeans, direct export infrastructure and in-state exporter relationships help build markets for Missouri.
“We have identified this region in our strategic plan for a reason,” Alpers says. “The MSMC board has decided these international trips have significant return on investment. Any time we can put a face to our soybeans for potential buyers, we can have the frank conversations that ultimately sell beans.”
Future plans have already been made to support these efforts throughout the summer of 2025. A Latin American trade team will be visiting so partners can visit Missouri soybean farms as well as the Farm for Soy Innovation and get an up-close look at the research conducted there. Missouri Soybeans will also be going back to the Latin American region for additional touchpoints.
Several of these opportunities move beyond soy in the value chain. Partnerships include those in meat exports through organizations like the U.S. Meat Export Federation and USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.
“You will be hearing more about Missouri’s relationship with Latin America,” Amick says. “China is an important customer of U.S. Soy, but we need to diversify our markets. Latin American buyers already have a preference for U.S. Soy. We are just giving Missouri a seat at the table.”
