U.S.& S.American Soybean Producers Make History with Joint Trade Mission to India

USSEC Photo Scoop

U.S. and South American Soybean Producers Make History
with Joint Trade Mission to India

    Soybean producers from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and the United States made history during a joint grower trade mission to India in early December 2006. The mission goal was to show the South Americans first-hand examples of demand-building and promotional activities that ASA-IM has been implementing since 1986.
      Cooperation between U.S. and South American soybean producers will make it easier to deal with market access issues including non-tariff barriers, phytosanitary issues, chemical residue limits, acceptance of biotechnology, and excessive duties on soybean products.
     The trade mission was capped off with farmer-leaders signing a Global Grower Development Agreement between the U. S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and APROSOJA, the Soybean Producers Association of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Similar agreements were signed by U.S. farmer-leaders with Paraguayan farmers in June, and with Argentine farmers in October. Farmer-leaders from the United Soybean Board (USB) and American Soybean Association (ASA) were on hand to endorse the agreement. These farmers included Curt Raasch, Benny Cooper, Mark Pietz, and Sharon Covert, representing USB; Bob Metz and Johnny Dodson, representing ASA; along with USSEC staff Dan Duran and Craig Ratajczyk and ASA staff Bob Callanan.

APROSOJA President Rui Carlos Prado (left) and United Soybean Board immediate past Chairman Curt Raasch shake hands after signing the Global Grower Development Agreement.

U.S. and South American soybean producers pose with country flags during a visit to an India soyfood seminar..

The activities of the U.S. Soybean Export Council to expand international markets for U.S. soybeans and soy products are made possible by producer checkoff dollars invested by the United Soybean Board and various State Soybean Councils, support from cooperating industry, and through the American Soybean Association's investment of cost-share funding provided by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.