By Scout Nelson
The United Soybean Board (USB) highlights the growing role of soybean meal in animal agriculture, where livestock consume most of the production of soybean meal. USB continues to focus on increasing demand by improving animal nutrition and health across key sectors like poultry, swine, and dairy.
Keenan McRoberts, executive vice-president for strategy at USB, explains that the organization is working to expand the use of soy in livestock diets. New opportunities are emerging in dairy farming, especially with high oleic whole soybeans that are roasted and ground before being added to feed. These soybeans help improve milk fat production while lowering feed costs, creating benefits for both dairy and soybean farmers.
“One of the newest opportunities there is for dairy, focused on high oleic whole soybeans, typically roasted and ground, that are going into dairy rations to help increase milk fat yield and reduce diet costs,” explained McRoberts, during an interview with the South Dakota Soybean Network. “That's really a win-win from a profit standpoint for the dairy [farmers] and for soybean farmers that are feeding into those applications.”
While dairy is growing, most soybean meal demand still comes from poultry and swine production. The Soybean Checkoff is actively investing in research to improve the nutritional value of soybeans and to support better feed strategies. These efforts help farmers manage challenges such as heat stress and disease, while maintaining productivity.
“We've got some work that's increasing the energy value of soy and demonstrating how you can use the ingredient more strategically in swine and poultry rations as well as how strategic deployment of soy can help increase profit for periods of challenge like summer heat stress or respiratory disease stress,” McRoberts continued. “Soy can help increase productivity during those time periods if used the right way. So, we're really bringing evidence into that and helping the industry to adapt to it.”
To support these efforts, USB has launched the U.S. Soy Center for Animal Nutrition and Health. This platform provides valuable information for producers, nutritionists, and veterinarians. It helps them make better decisions about how to use soybean products in animal feed.
The center focuses on sharing research, improving feed efficiency, and supporting different livestock sectors including poultry, dairy, beef, and aquaculture. It guides users on when and how to use soybean meal to improve performance and profitability.
“It's a comprehensive source of information related to how you use soy strategically in animal rations. It's designed specifically for the animal ag industry, supporting nutritionists, producers, veterinarians across swine, poultry, dairy, beef, and aquaculture applications that really support decisions related to soy product deployment and bring the latest research into decisions around using more soybean meal,” concluded McRoberts, “when, how, and where to deploy it to make more money.”
Overall, the U.S. Soy Center plays an important role in strengthening soybean demand while helping the livestock industry grow efficiently and sustainably.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski
Categories: South Dakota, Crops, Soybeans, Livestock