Innovative Seed Trait Delivers on Consumer Preference and Farmers’ Bottom Line

Soy checkoff partnership with the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council expands SOYLEIC ^TM soybean varieties across the U.S., benefiting farmers and the food industry.

ST. LOUIS (June 2, 2021) — The U.S. soy industry continues to drive demand through innovation for soybean farmers and end users. With funding and partnership support from the soy checkoff, the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is leading the effort to build momentum for SOYLEIC™, a non-GMO soybean variety containing high oleic trait technology. The variety offers opportunities for farmers to meet end-user high oleic oil needs for specific markets.

“SOYLEIC is the latest example of the value the checkoff brings to soybean farmers, by providing research funding investments that result in innovations farmers can put to work right now to maximize profit opportunities,” said Meagan Kaiser, United Soybean Board Treasurer and farmer-leader from Bowling Green, Missouri. “The reliability that U.S. soybean farmers provide can meet end-user demand, expand and strengthen market share in the food industry, and diversify their acres, furthering profitability on the farm.”

The SOYLEIC trait technology was developed after over a decade of research. Seeds carrying SOYLEIC are going into approximately 40,000 acres across 14 states from Georgia to Minnesota this growing season. In addition, a new website, soyleic.com, is now available as a one-stop shop for information for farmers, researchers, chefs and health-conscious consumers.

High oleic soybean oil provides increased functionality and contains zero trans fat. It is an ideal oil for frying, baking and many other uses in restaurants and home kitchens. It creates nutritious food for humans and feed for animal diets while offering a diversified and value-added planting option for soy farmers.

“Innovations like the SOYLEIC non-GMO high oleic soybeans are exactly the opportunities we’re focused on in bringing new soybean varieties to farmers and introducing new soy products to the market through the soy checkoff,” said Kyle Durham, a farmer from Norborne and chair of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council. “We’re proud to bring growers this technology that stands to empower farmers to improve their bottom line through new varieties and value-added markets and meet the food industry’s need for high-performing soybean oil.”

In addition to farmers planting soybeans with the SOYLEIC non-GMO high oleic, soybean breeders are working to develop new varieties with the technology tailored to the growing conditions in their regions. Led by the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and funded through the soy checkoff, a group of land-grant universities and private organizations are working to expand the trait to maturity groups 00 to VII.

To learn more about the non-GMO high oleic soybean trait technology and opportunities to try SOYLEIC, visit soyleic.com.

About United Soybean Board: United Soybean Board’s 78 volunteer farmer-directors work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds in programs and partnerships to drive soybean innovation beyond the bushel and increase preference for U.S. soy. That preference is based on U.S. soybean meal and oil quality and the sustainability of U.S. soybean farmers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff. For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit unitedsoybean.org.

About Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council: The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is a statewide, farmer-led organization working to improve opportunities for Missouri soybean farmers through a combination of research, outreach, education and market development efforts supported by the soy checkoff. Learn more online by exploring mosoy.org.

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Contact:

Paul Murphy-Spooner at United Soybean Board, 515.975.6584.

Mace Thornton at United Soybean Board, mthornton@unitedsoybean.org.