Programs

Specialty soybeans, while less popular than regular soybeans, have a plethora of uses and demands. There are many different types of specialty soybeans, each with its own strengths. These beans are being developed right now to suit demand from specific markets. Consumers in the United States want to know where their soybeans are grown and reap the health benefits of eating them.

Soybean farmers are focused on boosting revenue and earning a premium while producing a high-quality crop, and specialty soybeans are a great way to achieve that goal. Because specialty soybeans are commonly grown under contract agreements, they can bring in a higher profit. These contract agreements give the grower and the buyer a chance to see eye-to-eye on special requirements and details. As a result of these contract agreements, buyers and growers tend to leave the deal satisfied with the outcome.

Many varieties of soy foods are created using specialty soybeans. Some commonly recognized soy foods in this category include tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, soy milk, and more. These beans are also used to produce healthy foods, meat alternatives, and soy nuts. Non-GMO soybeans are rising in popularity. Consumers are choosing to purchase this variety of soybeans in health food and grocery stores. Non-GMO soybeans have lower seed costs than commercial soybeans, however, this variety requires special herbicides at a higher cost.

Non-GMO soybeans differ in production methods as compared to conventional soybeans. An advantage to this variety, in particular, is lower seed costs. Farmers can save around 50 percent when purchasing non-GMO soybeans. One challenge that comes along with this type of bean is the use of herbicides. Not only are the herbicides required for growth a higher cost, but they are also more tedious to apply. The timing of herbicide applications on non-GMO soybean fields can be hard to control and keep track of. Farmers must be attentive to application times and processes. 

Aside from non-GMO soybeans, there has been a rise in demand for specialty soybeans such as high oleic and organic food-grade. These trends are expected to continue, considering the rise in demand for specialty soybeans, especially in health food stores. 

SOYLEIC, patented by the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, is a non-GMO, high-oleic trait available for today’s soybean varieties, which results in high oleic oil and meal.

Through funding from the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), researchers at the University of Illinois are conducting a project focused on the development of high oleic, low linolenic (HOLL) soybean varieties that will be marketed under the SOYLEIC name. This is a source of high-quality soybean oil that can be used to win back the market share of soybean in the food industry and increase its industrial uses.

The goal of this research is to test and commercialize soybean varieties with improved seed oil quality to give growers new opportunities for producing soybean with a value-added trait and to increase demand for soybean oil. The varieties being developed have improved oil quality with greater than 80 percent oleic acid and less than three percent linolenic acid (high oleic and low linolenic or HOLL), which is achieved through combining two mutagenized and two naturally occurring genes which makes this a non-GMO source of HOLL oil.

This will allow the team to market non-GMO HOLL varieties, which will result in increased premiums, and makes it easy to combine HOLL oil with new GMO technology, which would require a lengthy and expensive approval process if HOLL oil was a GMO trait.

SOYLEIC soybean varieties provide the food market with a high-value, market-driven functional soybean oil, offering a solution to recent food labeling rules set in motion by health concerns with trans-fats. Federal regulations concerning trans fats have devalued commodity soybean oil and decreased or eliminated soybean oil in many food products.

Dairy alternatives, or plant-based foods, are one of fastest growing food sectors. Consumers increasingly are trying almond or soy beverages instead of cow’s milk, for example. And the market is only going to grow, according to the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance.

Globally, the group notes South Asia, especially, is poised for soy-based dairy analogue product growth, given health benefits of soy, an increasing vegetarian/vegan population, environmental consciousness and higher milk prices. The North Asia market for soyfoods and ingredients also is expanding and currently is valued at more than $2 billion. The Alliance anticipates a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent in that region during the next five years.

And while many soyfoods can be produced from commodity soybeans, the Alliance reports foods taste better and fulfill specific food property demands when they are manufactured from food grade varieties grown, harvested and shipped separately from commodity soybeans.

Handling also is different. Sales are typically buyer's call, which means farmers deliver their segregated contract soybeans from their bins to processors when requested by the buyer. A high priority is placed on traceability, so buyers know every step of the process from the producer.

Several farm publications have written good articles about food grade soybean production. This article shares information from participants in the food grade soybean trade.

If you’re looking to diversify your income stream and want to capture premium prices, growing non-GMO soybeans may be a good strategy for your farm.

While growing non-GMO soybeans requires different recordkeeping, crop inputs and identity preservation after harvest than GMO beans, farmers can tap into the expanding market. Check out some of the resources highlighted here to learn more about making the switch.

Shift in Agronomic Management. While you may spend less on non-GMO soybean seed versus traited seed, weed control may take up some of that savings and more time.

That’s because non-GMO soybeans will not tolerate the herbicides that are commonly used in GMO soybeans. This article from South Dakota State University Extension weeds field specialist Gared Shaffer discusses how weed management strategies themselves are not that different from GMO production even if the products used are not the same.

“First, we always need a weed-free start at planting. This means do not plant unless the weeds prior to planting are controlled. To give you some time for a post application and to give your soybeans a head start, make sure to apply a preemergence herbicide before planting. Then apply, if needed, a postemergence application when weeds are less than four to six inches tall, which may be anytime between two to six weeks after soybean emergence. Refer to herbicide label before application for proper methods and any restrictions,” Shaffer notes in the article.

If you’re thinking about dipping your toes into the specialty soybean market to earn premiums, high oleic soybean production may be one path you want to explore.

The United Soybean Board (USB) has been investing checkoff dollars into the research and development of this market for the last 10 years or so, with the objective of creating high oleic soybean varieties that will meet the needs of both farmers and customers.

So, what are high oleic soybeans, and who wants to buy them?

When the Food & Drug Administration mandated that trans fats needed to be listed on food labels beginning in 2003, soybean farmers lost some of their cooking oil market. Soybean oil creates trans fats under some applications. So, researchers went to work to see how to solve that problem and keep soybean oil in the demand mix. High oleic soybeans were the solution.

High oleic soybeans produce oil with no trans fats, 20 percent less saturated fat and have properties that help the oil last longer on the shelf and in the fryer.

Chesapeake Fields Farmers Cooperative works with farmers in and around Maryland’s Eastern Shore to grow, process and market identity-preserved, non-GMO soybeans.

Visit our website at www.chesapeakefieldsfarmers.com for more information, and contact us for further details on our growers program and Coop membership.

Richland IFC in Breckenridge, MN contracting new crop food grade soybeans with premiums over the CBOT. Most contracts are available in Eastern North Dakota and South Dakota and Western Minnesota. Call with questions

Contracting dedicated acres of feed grade organic soybeans for our soy meal production- 2016 crop.

"ZFS is currently seeking to buy non-GMO soybeans.
Call for grain merchandising for more information.

We are pleased to announce our High Oleic Soybean Program for the 2016 crop. Delivery will be on a buyers call basis, the tentative delivery periods for the 2016 crop year to Frankfort, IN plant will be as follows:

This is a premium program for low linolenic soybeans in conjunction with Bunge North America (East) LLC

SK Food has ongoing needs for non-GMO and organic pulses, grains, seeds and soybeans.

Precision Soya is searching for farmers to grow a range of maturities of roundup and non-GMO acres for seed. Excellent premiums, trucking assistance and competitive base pricing available! Call Krista for more information 217-202-8396!

Our focus has always been to help the producer capture marketing opportunities by offering simple, straight-forward contracts and by promoting a profit based program with an emphasis on seizing profitable marketing opportunities when available. Our simple menu of offerings includes Target Contract, Forward Contract, Spot Sale, Minimum Price Contract and Delayed Price Contract. Additionally, we offer acre contracts with premiums paid per bushel on variety specific Non-GMO food grade soybeans.

We originate, process and ship non GMO, clear hilum soybeans internationally. We have soybeans from the .8 to 3.8 maturity.

We are offering a grower premium on Identity Preserved, Non-GMO soybeans. These food grade soybeans are exported to the exacting Japanese market. Please contact us today for contracting new crop beans!

Highly competitive Certified Organic Soybean Acres contract for feed grade use.

“Growers receive premiums for specialty soybeans including Identity Preserved, Food Grade, Certified Organic and Conventional Non-GMO. Please contact your SK Food representative for more details.
States from which we source beans:
ND, MN, SD, WI, IA, OH, MI, NY, AK, GA, TN, VA, KS, NE, MO, IL”

Scoular is now buying soybeans! CALL US for bids on variety specific, Non-GMO soybeans. PICKED UP on the farm or DELIVERED bids. Many varieties accepted. 2017 & 2018 CROP contracts are now being written throughout the United States.

Scoular is a 125 year old company with nearly $6.0 billion in annual sales. We have offices and facilities throughout the United States and over 1200 employees. We supply food and feed manufacturers world wide.

“Growers receive premiums for specialty soybeans including Identity Preserved, Food Grade, and Non-GMO. Please contact Brushvale Seed for more details about production contracts, crop sales, and delivery options.
States from which we source soybeans:
ND, MN, SD”