(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council collaborated to strengthen SOYLEIC® soybean acres in New York and Ohio through a powerful partnership with one of the few remaining full-line seed companies, SEEDWAY.
“When we invest Minnesota soybean checkoff dollars in projects, our ultimate goal is to grow farmers’ bottom lines,” said Tom Frisch, chair of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. “When we see that pay off as we have with the recent sale of SOYLEIC® soybeans to SEEDWAY, it makes all the hard work worth it. We’re making waves in the soybean industry and creating new markets for growers.”
The agricultural industry is constantly changing, and farmers are pushed to meet the demands. The addition of SOYLEIC® high oleic (HO) soybeans pushed farmers to look for ways to diversify. One of the ways farmers are maximizing this seed innovation is through livestock nutrition. Through recent studies, HO soybeans were found to make value-added animal feed, especially in dairy herds.
“SOYLEIC® soybeans were created by the farmer for the farmer,” said Bryan Stobaugh, Missouri Soybeans director of licensing and commercialization. “To further the innovation, the SOYLEIC® soybean is going beyond genetics in the field and is entering the dairy system. SEEDWAY is signed proof of the value soybean oil brings to the dairy industry, adding benefits to their profits.”
Dairy markets in New York and Ohio are leveraging SOYLEIC® soybeans to produce a higher-value product with a lower risk of causing diet-induced milk fat depression.
A recent study at Penn State University showed HO soybeans had a surprisingly significant impact on raising the milkfat percentage. Not only did the HO variety raise milk butterfat content over conventional soybean meal, but it also changed the composition of the milkfat. The increase in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and some significant decreases in trans fatty acids in the milk are noteworthy for consumers while increasing the bottom line for the dairy farmer.
“We brought in the SOYLEIC® varieties to continue our mission of providing growers with high-quality products to meet the growing demands of the markets,” said Cassidy Fletcher, SEEDWAY soybean and wheat product manager. “The opportunity is huge for our growers both on the oil side and on the feed and dairy nutrition side. We are excited to be able to offer the SOYLEIC® soybeans to our customers and look forward to helping them meet the growing soybean demand.”
The relative maturity range of commercially available SOYLEIC® varieties allows for contract production across maturity groups 1-7 in the U.S. soybean-growing region. These HO beans covering New York and Ohio are the first maturity group one license in the U.S. from the SOYLEIC® portfolio, which stands as the earliest commercial HO soybean variety to date.
The maturity group one SOYLEIC® soybeans were developed at the University of Minnesota through checkoff funds provided by Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, along with United Soybean Board.
This agreement will add to Missouri Soybeans already 14 states with SOYLEIC® varieties, which now totals 20 states with SOYLEIC® soybeans being commercially produced. The SOYLEIC® trait is available to license from the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council. Find out more at soyleic.com.
About SEEDWAY
Headquartered in Hall, NY, SEEDWAY is a full-line seed company providing high quality, high-performing farm seed products as well as lawn and turf products in the northeast U.S. We offer a leading line of vegetable seed for growers from the Rocky Mountains to the eastern seaboard, north to Ontario, Canada and along the West Coast into Mexico.
About the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council
The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council is a 15-person, farmer-led board that oversees the investment of checkoff dollars on behalf of the state’s nearly 28,000 soybean farmers. The Council is governed by the rules of a federally mandated checkoff program requiring all soybean producers to pay a fee on the soybeans they sell. This money is used to promote, educate and develop market opportunities for soybeans.
About SOYLEIC
SOYLEIC® is a non-GMO, high oleic trait developed by the University of Missouri and patented by The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council. It is available for today’s soybean varieties and results in high oleic oil and meal. The product of years of conventional soybean breeding, SOYLEIC has the functionality and performance that soybean oil is known for, but also a high oleic fat profile that naturally eliminates trans fats. To learn more, visit soyleic.com.