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Uzbekistan becoming a U.S. soybean destination

Soybean export business is growing in Uzbekistan.

Minnesota farmer Patrick O’Leary says he was in the central Asian country last week for the arrival of about 150 tons of U.S. soymeal.

“A very small thing, but it was really our pilot or test to see can we actually get the product there, how well does it go, and what do customers think. And fortunately it went quite well to get the product there, we loaded six containers in the U.S. from a couple of different companies.”

It’s the second shipment of U.S. soymeal to Uzbekistan since 2022 and O’Leary tells Brownfield the market has significant potential.

“As we visit with customers over there we kind of look to see maybe a million metric tons in that region of the world in the upcoming years, and a lot of desire in Uzbekistan especially to have expansions in their poultry production and their dairy production.”

O’Leary serves as a director for the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and was joined on the trip by the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan as well as a USDA official.