Soybean Expo looks at the bright side of the industry

On Jan. 8, soybean producers and industry representatives gathered in Topeka for the Kansas Soybean Association’s annual Soybean Expo. The event featured updates from checkoff-partner organizations: Animal Agriculture Alliance, USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.

Shelby Watson, allied-industry relations manager for USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, shared that the relationship between poultry and egg production and U.S. soybeans has never been stronger.

“Without (poultry and egg production) soybean revenue in the U.S. would decrease by 65%,” Watson said. “And poultry consumption of soy in the U.S. is maxed out.”

Watson told attendees that if agriculture has learned anything from the trade negotiations, it has learned the importance of differentiating markets. Watson cited the value of the chicken paw market at $75 million without China as a trade partner and over $835 million since China has reopened its doors to U.S. poultry.

“Without China as a trade partner,” Watson said, “chicken paws are only used for pet food.”

On the trend and public perception front, both Watson and Animal Agriculture Alliance Director of Communication Hannah Weeman shared that there is still much work to be done in creating an understanding of modern agriculture both domestically and abroad.

“Our biggest battle is the perception of diseases and food safety,” Watson said.

Weeman also provided an update on current tactics animal rights organizations are using to influence public perception.

“Animal rights groups continue to use undercover video campaigns and frontline surveillance in combination with protests and vigils,” Weeman said. “What we do at Animal Agriculture Alliance is work to promote positive counter-messaging by being the gatekeeper of factual, relevant information. We do this by working with the media, chefs, dieticians, and other food and agriculture stakeholders.”

Weeman said that with partners in many diverse sectors, the Alliance is helping to bridge the gap between animal agriculture and public perception.

Following the checkoff-partner updates, comedienne Leslie Townsend lightened the mood by providing her take on farm life and the hilarity, and sometimes loneliness of transitioning from the big city to small-town farm life.

The former Hollywood star rounded out her performance with audience participation in a unique spin on the “Twelve Days of Christmas…on the farm.”

Following the morning session, awards were presented to outstanding soybean producers across the state, as well as friends and longtime supporters of the Kansas soybean industry, to include retiring Kansas Soybean Association board members.

“The annual Kansas Soybean yield and value contests recognize outstanding Kansas farmers and provide fun incentives for them to improve,” said Greg Strube, Horton, who chairs the Kansas Soybean Association contests committee.

Strube said that the contests also serve to educate producers by sharing what participants learned and disseminating the information to producers across the state.

New to the contest categories this year was the addition of the highest protein award. The 2019 winner of the highest protein award was Chris Bodenhausen, Muscotah, with an entry of 37.3% protein.

Laura Handke can be reached at [email protected].