New Delhi: For the first time in history, US farmers are in India on a joint trade mission with Soya growers from South America to promote soy products.
Developing new markets for soybeans and soy products around the world is good for US and South American farmers alike, and India holds enormous potential as a new market for soybean exports.
For more than 10 years, US soybean farmers have invested in promoting soybean utilisation activities in India implemented by the American Soybean Association International Marketing.
"A partnership between farmers in the US and farmers in South America allows us to work together to open up new markets," said United Soybean Board (USB) Chairman Curt Raasch.
Raasch, a soybean producer from Odebolt, Iowa further said, "As part of the partnership, soybean farmers from the United States, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina are in India to assess firsthand the efforts already put in to promote soybean use in India".
India has the second-largest population in the world and is expected to surpass China in numbers by 2040. Today, India's per capita soybean meal consumption is less than one-tenth that of China.
These promotional efforts could result in significant growth for soybean farmers.
"Cooperation between US and South American soybean farmers will make it easier to deal with market access issues including non-tariff barriers, phytosanitary issues, chemical residue limits, acceptance of biotechnology, and excessive duties on soybean products," said American Soybean Association (ASA) Chairman Bob Metz.
"This is a farmer-driven initiative that will encourage other farmers to shift their thinking to a single, global market for soybeans," added Metz, a soybean producer from West Browns Valley, S Dak.
South American soybean growers are also keen to explore opportunities for joint and their own market development activities in India.
"Exports are important to South American farmers just like US farmers. In Paraguay, we export 98 per cent of our production," said President of Camara Paraguaya de Exportadores de Cereales y Oleaginosas (CAPECO) Jorge Heisecke.
"The time has come for South American growers to partner with the US in their promotional efforts in India by funding activities like feed technology workshops, marketing support, soyfoods training programs and others," he added.
Grower agreements for joint activities have already been signed between the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and grower organisations in Paraguay and Argentina.
"US soybean farmers have proven that programs like this can increase their competitiveness and market share worldwide," said USSEC Chief Executive Officer Dan Duran. "Consider China, a country that was at one point a net exporter of soybeans, but now, in part due to these efforts by US soybean farmers, it has become the largest importer of US soybeans."
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