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Taiwanese trade team visits Iowa

Leaders of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) recently met with a visiting trade delegation from Taiwan in Des Moines.

As part of their visit, Taiwan officials signed a letter of intent to buy Iowa soybeans in 2016 and 2017.

ISA president Wayne Fredericks of Osage says the lingering issue of protein content in U.S. soybeans also came up for discussion.

“They feel that maybe our protein has slipped a little bit from what it was—and that, in relationship with South America, we’re falling down,” Fredericks says.

Higher protein content needs to start with the seed companies and universities, Fredericks says.

“It has to start at the breeding level,” he says. “But we as producers also need to be aware that there’s a concern out there—and when we works in our channels, we always try to express that.”

But Fredericks says there’s also an education process that needs to take place with the end-users in Taiwan.

“Although we may be down in crude protein, our amino acid balances are still very good—and, usually, in feeding trials, we excel versus the South American product, in a side-by-side trial.”

Fredericks says Taiwan is the fifth largest customer for U.S. soybeans with over half of its soybeans purchases coming from the U.S.

AUDIO: Wayne Fredericks