U.S. soybean farmers face intense competition to maintain and grow their share of international and domestic markets. South America is projected to double its production acres in the next decade. At the 2003 Commodity Classic in Charlotte, N.C., soybean checkoff farmer-leaders announced a new checkoff-funded initiative designed to help U.S. farmers become stronger competitors in the global marketplace.

Through the new initiative, the soybean checkoff will encourage U.S. soybean farmers to evaluate compositional quality, or protein and oil content, in addition to yield potential when selecting soybean varieties to plant on their farms.

Soybean checkoff farmer-leaders and staff are also working with processors and seed companies to develop a market signal and assess the adverse economic impact of producing soybeans with lower levels of protein and oil. Improving the overall quality of the U.S. soybean crop is one way soybean checkoff farmer-leaders feel the U.S. can compete with South America.