Latin American Soya Buyers Examined the Production and Processing Process in Missouri

Missouri Soybeans hosted soya buyers from Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Chile in Missouri. The visit took place as part of a multi-state project carried out in collaboration with Ag Processing Inc. (AGP), which aims to promote the use of soya meal produced in the Midwestern United States in Latin American markets.

These four countries accounted for approximately 30 per cent of US soya meal exports in the previous marketing year. It was therefore noted that the visit was an initiative highlighting the importance of commercial relationships with buyers in developing demand for US-origin soya products.

As part of the programme, the delegation visited farms owned by Marc Zell in Meadville and Joe Lau in Easton. Here, participants received information on soya production in Missouri, the conditions of the current growing season and product quality as the harvest period approaches.

Another stop on the visit was AGP’s soya processing plant in St Joseph. During the tour of the facility, participants learnt about the process by which soya moves from the farms to the processing stage and subsequently reaches the global feed market.

The programme enabled key soya meal buyers from Latin America to examine Missouri’s production and processing chain first-hand, whilst serving as an example of efforts to strengthen the US soya sector’s ties with export markets.