The largest end user of soybeans is animal agriculture. Chickens, pigs, turkeys, cattle, fish and other farm-raised animals consume 97 percent of domestic soybean meal, according to the United Soybean Board (USB). Keenan McRoberts, USB’s executive vice-president for strategy, says a team at the USB is dedicated to animal nutrition and health to create increasing demand in swine, poultry and dairy rations.
“One of the newest opportunities there is for dairy, focused on high oleic whole soybeans, typically roasted and ground, that are going into dairy rations to help increase milk fat yield and reduce diet costs,” explained McRoberts, during an interview with the South Dakota Soybean Network. “That's really a win-win from a profit standpoint for the dairy [farmers] and for soybean farmers that are feeding into those applications.”
Aside from the innovative work being done to grow and develop dairy rations, the bulk of soybean meal demand for livestock is in poultry and swine. The Soybean Checkoff is investing in research that shines a light on the quality of U.S. soybeans while also exploring industry partnerships necessary for continued long-term growth, according to the USB.
“We've got some work that's increasing the energy value of soy and demonstrating how you can use the ingredient more strategically in swine and poultry rations as well as how strategic deployment of soy can help increase profit for periods of challenge like summer heat stress or respiratory disease stress,” McRoberts continued. “Soy can help increase productivity during those time periods if used the right way. So, we're really bringing evidence into that and helping the industry to adapt to it.”
As part of its support for animal agriculture, the USB launched the U.S. Soy Center for Animal Nutrition and Health (U.S. Soy CAN), a Soybean Checkoff-funded website that provides resources for the animal agriculture industry, according to information published by the center. The site aims to help producers optimize the value of U.S. soybeans in animal feed and stay informed on industry events.
“It's a comprehensive source of information related to how you use soy strategically in animal rations. It's designed specifically for the animal ag industry, supporting nutritionists, producers, veterinarians across swine, poultry, dairy, beef, and aquaculture applications that really support decisions related to soy product deployment and bring the latest research into decisions around using more soybean meal,” concluded McRoberts, “when, how, and where to deploy it to make more money.”
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