USB Identifies Focus Areas for U.S. Soy Industry

Farmer-leaders of the United Soybean Board (USB) recently met and discussed, among other topics, high-impact, checkoff-funded projects geared to achieve tangible results in specific focus areas for U.S. soybean farmers and the rest of the U.S. soy industry.

USB farmer-leaders approved projects to increase focus on production research on the soybean genome and to increase emphasis on specific, targeted international markets and improve U.S. value-added soy exports.

The checkoff has already supported research that led to the sequencing of the soybean genome. The next sizable checkoff investment will be steps to identify the function of each gene.

“Additional research on the soybean genome will allow us to increase efficiency in plant breeding,” said USB Chairman Marc Curtis, a Mississippi soybean farmer. “This will allow researchers to change the plant in ways that could improve composition and help increase yield.”

Targeting export markets will allow USB to focus its efforts for the maximum impact, said Curtis.

“We have identified specific markets where we can make a move immediately,” added Curtis. “These will be markets U.S. soy is not currently in and we can focus on and make an impact.”