Moroccan soy oil professionals attended USSEC’s 5th Regional Soybean Processing and Refining Conference, held on Sept 25 and 26 in Dubai, UAE. Nearly 100 participants from the Middle East, North Africa, Nepal, Russia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh attended the conference. The blend and diversity of participants’ backgrounds favored regional connections with other oil processors and allied industries.
USSEC technical consultants, industry representatives, and equipment suppliers presented latest innovations, practices, and technologies aiming to optimize oil processing from soybean preparation to producing high quality refined soybean oil.
Illinois farmers Rob Shaffer, American Soybean Association (ASA) director, and Dan Farney United Soybean Board (USB) director, presented the latest farming practices behind the sustainability programs implemented. Similarly, USB chairman and Kentucky farmer Keith Tapp; ASA and USSEC director Stan Born, an Illinois farmer; and Lewis Bainbridge, past USB chairman and South Dakota farmer, highlighted the sustainability of the U.S. soybean sector, which efficiently supplies quality soybean products to its customers worldwide.
Jim Sutter, USSEC CEO, stressed the importance of trade despite current market access issues for some soy products in some markets. Increasing customer knowledge to appreciate bean quality, class exporters, efficient infrastructure, and sustainability of US beans are USSEC’s primary goals. Brent Babb, USSEC Regional Director – EU/Middle East North Africa (MENA) highlighted the continuous efforts of U.S. farmers to produce quality soybeans for markets around the world and the important growth of U.S. soybean product exports to the MENA region.
Participants appreciated the knowledge gained on the efficient processing and quality of U.S. soybean products. Maghreb remains the largest marketplace for soybean oil consumption in the MENA region where it is the predominant vegetable oil. The Morocco market consumed over 500 thousand metric tons (TMT) of soy oil this year.