To celebrate 30 years of partnership with China, USSEC, the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the United Soybean Board (USB) hosted a ceremony for more than 450 government officials and representatives from China’s oilseed processing and animal agriculture industries. Zeng Liying, vice administrator of the Chinese State Administration of Grain, and Joseph Glauber, chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture delivered opening remarks. The speakers highlighted the role agriculture played in strengthening the relationship between the two countries and congratulated the industry on 30 years of collaboration.
“U.S. soybean farmers are proud of the role we have in supporting the tremendous growth of China’s animal agriculture and aquaculture industries over the last 30 years,” said Steve Wellman, ASA president. “As partners with shared interests, we are committed to continuing to support China’s food security and food safety goals.”
The ceremony concluded with a presentation of plaques of appreciation to representatives from the Chinese soy and animal industries. Directors and farmer-leaders representing the U.S. soy industry included Steve Wellman; Vanessa Kummer, USB chair; Roy Bardole, USSEC chairman; Alan Kemper, ASA chairman; Jim Sutter, USSEC CEO; Steve Censky, ASA CEO; and John Becherer, USB CEO.
Chinese government and industry leaders in attendance included Xie Jianmin, deputy director general of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture; Bian Zhenhu, president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-products (CFNA); Sha Yusheng, deputy secretary general of the China Feed Industry Association (CFIA); Wei Baozhen, director general of the China National Fisheries Technology Extension Center (NEC); and Shen Guang, secretary general of the China Animal Agriculture Association (CAAA).
Mr. Steve Wellman is delivering a welcome speech at the 30th Anniversary Celebration Conference and present at this ceremony are (from right to left): Dr. Joe Glauber, Chief Economist of USDA, Mdm. Zeng Liying, Vice Administrator of the State Administration of Grain, Mr. Xie Jianmin, Deputy Director General of the Dept. of Int’l Cooperation of MOA, Mdm. Vanessa Kummer, Chair of USB and Mr. Sha Yusheng, Deputy Secretary General of China Feed Industry Association.
-- Photo by Xinhua News Agency
Mdm. Vanessa Kummer, Chair of USB, is presenting a plaque of appreciation to Mr. Bian Zhenhu, President of CFNA after he delivered a speech to the audience participated in the 30th anniversary celebration in Beijing.

USSEC arranged for U.S. soybean farmers to have the opportunity to meet with representatives from the State Administration of Grain (SAG), the Ministry of Commerce and the Development and Research Center of the State Council (DRC) during one of their first stops in China last week. The group met with Zeng Liying, vice administrator of the SAG; Jiang Zengwei, vice minister of Commerce; and Xu Xiaoqing and Cheng Guogiang, Ph.D., directors general of the DRC to discuss the current soy market situation regarding the drought and biotech events, such as the continued use of new soybean trait technology. The grower leaders committed their willingness to work with the Chinese leaders to continue to provide a sustainable and quality supply of U.S. soy.
Steve Wellman, president of the American Soybean Association and Vanessa Kummer, chair of the United Soybean Board, led the delegation meetings.
Mdm. Zeng Liying, Vice Administrator of Grain met with the U.S. Soy Industry Delegation led by ASA President Steve Wellman, USB Chair Vanessa Kummer and USSEC Chairman Roy Bardole on July 30th, 2012 in Beijing.
Mr. Jiang Zengwei, Vice Minister of Commerce met with the U.S. soy industry delegation on July 30th, 2012 in Beijing.

A delegation of more than 50 U.S. soybean farmers traveled to Tianjin to visit Tianjin Joy Excel Grains and Oil Industries Co., Ltd. The farmers had the opportunity to see first-hand how the soy they grow makes it into the Chinese marketplace. Tianjin is the newest crushing facility under the COFCO Group, the largest importer of U.S. soybeans in 2011. The state-of-the-art facility’s daily crushing capacity includes 4,000 metric tons of soybeans, and a refining capacity of 1,000 metric tons of vegetable oil, including soybean oil. The facility also includes storage capacity for 120,000 metric tons of grain and 148,000 metric tons for oil.
Following the facility tour, the delegation met with COFCO executives to discuss the supply and quality of U.S. soybeans. The on-going drought in the United States raises concern for the Chinese importers but the farmer leaders noted the increased planted acres of soybeans as a reassurance of an abundant crop.
The delegation met with the top management from the Shanghai Liangyou Group, one of the largest and most advanced grain and oilseeds processing plants in China. The plant, located on the Yangtze River, functions as a major hub for imported grains and oilseeds as well as a marketing center for processed products, such as wheat, flour, soybean meal and oil, and rice. The plant has a daily crushing capacity of 3,700 metric tons and U.S. soybeans comprised 75 percent of the plant’s soy crushing capacity in 2011.
Group photo of the U.S. soy industry delegation at Tianjin Joy Excel Crushing Plant of COFCO Group.Group photo of the U.S. soy industry delegation at Tianjin Joy Excel Crushing Plant of COFCO Group.
Vanessa Kummer, Chair of USB and Steve Wellman, President of ASA are touring the port facility attached to COFCO crushing plant in Tianjin.

Representatives from nine QSSBs traveled to China to celebrate 30 years of partnership between China and the U.S. soy industry. The QSSB leaders visited three livestock processors and feed companies and aqua farm to learn how China’s animal and aquaculture industries use U.S. soy. The companies included the Yangxiang Group, Beijing Huadu Yukou Poultry Co. Ltd., and the Beijing Sturgeon Farm.
The Yangxiang Group, one of the top feed companies in China, also focuses on feed production, swine farming and meat processing. Huadu Yukou, a leader in layer breeder production, feed manufacturing and food processing, also owns two proprietary layer breeder brands. The U.S. delegation explained the advantages of using a soy-based diet in livestock and aqua feeds.
David Nichols, Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board; Gene Stoel, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council; Keith Roberts, Ohio Soybean Council; and Tom Oswald, Iowa Soybean Association, Beijing at the Jinchao Garden Agriculture Development Center.

The U.S. delegation visited the Shanghai Wangu swine breeding farm, a privately-owned operation in the Songjiang district of Shanghai. The company has three pure-bred farms located in Shanghai, Jiangxi Province and Yunnan Province and raise 3,000 breeding sows. USSEC collaborates with the farm to the increase use of U.S. soy in swine feed formulations and grow productivity and profitability of the swine industry in China.
QSSBs represented included Illinois Soybean Association, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Iowa Soybean Association, Kentucky Soybean Board, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, North Carolina Soybean Producers Association, Ohio Soybean Council, and the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board.
State QSSBs and grower leaders are touring the port facility at the Shahghai Liangyou Waigaoqiao Grain & Oilseeds Processing and Logistics Complex located at the mouth of Yangtze River.
Group photo at the swine breeding company in Shanghai after touring the facility.

USSEC is seeking an experienced marketing program manager to provide oversight, professional project management, and direction to USSEC’s global animal utilization projects.
This excellent opportunity to represent U.S. soybean growers is located in St. Louis and reports to the Global Director of Commercialization and Marketing. Knowledge and experience in agribusiness and specifically the soy industry is a plus. Contact USSEC-HR@ussec.org for additional information.
New China Talking Points Now Available
Are you traveling to China for a marketing mission or hosting a Chinese trade team at your farm this year? If so, contact the USSEC office in St. Louis to request a copy of the new talking points and briefing paper. The document outlines up-to-date information regarding our largest soy trading partner and the most effective messages to improve relations with our largest customer. To request a copy, please contact Greg Olwig, golwig@ussec.org or Lisa Pine, lpine@ussec.org.