Building Trust Across Borders: How Quality U.S. Soy Opens New Markets

“I’ve yet to meet a dishonest pig,” says Teertach Robert Laovoravit with a smile.

For Laovoravit’s Thailand-based feed mill, this simple truth is the foundation of his family’s business strategy as it expands into new markets, including Vietnam.

“Farmers don’t necessarily believe what they hear; they do believe what they can see,” Laovoravit recently explained during a panel at USSEC’s Soy Connext event in Washington, D.C. “We’ve all met people we can trust or not, but I’ve yet to meet a dishonest pig. So, we ask our farmers to trust their pigs.”

His approach? Let the pigs do the talking through on-farm trials using U.S. Soy.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Laovoravit’s family founded United Feed Mill in 1989 in Thailand, focusing on independent swine producers. Today, they purchase whole soybeans, crush them on-site to process into feed, and market the feed to pig producers.

When Laovoravit puts U.S. Soy to the test against other origins, the results speak for themselves. In a recent 28-day trial with 105 pigs, he reports feed made with U.S. Soy showed remarkable advantages:

“What we see when we compare pigs eating our feed versus other feed is that U.S. Soy has less damage and fewer splits, translating to lower toxins and oxidation,” Laovoravit explains. “When you’re shipping splits across the ocean, oxidation occurs, and I believe those pigs can tell.”

Laovoravit encourages all pig producers not to trust his marketing claims alone but to conduct their own tests. He believes producers can get a good indication of feed performance within the first three days of using U.S. Soy.

“On the first day, our customers can see the palatability of the feed; by the second day, they can see no diarrhea, which suggests low bacterial contamination; by the third day, they can see no cough, which suggests low mycotoxins.”

Building Trust Through Performance

Laovoravit serves as Director at Olive Hill Innovation Co., Ltd., which provides business improvement and developmental services for United Feed Mill. Their expansion from Thailand into Vietnam required patience and proof.

His solution? Intensive six-week trials with veterinarians to monitor on-farm performance. “We give them some feed to conduct a trial on their farm,” he says. “We don’t ask our customers to trust other pigs; we ask our customers to have their pigs tell their story on whether we make quality feed.”

“We are doing free trials and selling at a loss to develop a reputation in Vietnam,” he admits. “Very slow, frustrating work—you need to do that for each farmer and let them see for themselves. We ask our customers not to tell our story on the importance of quality feed, but to tell the story we built together with them.  I believe people are more enthusiastic about telling their own story of success rather than repeating the stories of others.”

This perspective on storytelling aligns with the campaign Laovoravit’s company has done in Thailand.

United Feed Mill challenged customers to use their feed to achieve 30 kilograms in weight at 9 weeks old. With feed made from U.S. Soy, many of their customers achieved and exceeded this challenge, with the best-performing pig weighing 33 kilograms!

“Weight is money,” Laovoravit emphasizes, noting improved muscle mass rather than just fat.

“We’re continuing to nurture an environment where our customers do not see each other as competitors, but through the use of the same feed and friendly competition, see each other as partners within the industry.”

He continued, “This creates room for dialogue, allowing pig farmers to share raising and housing practices to improve productivity.  After all, animal husbandry is a holistic approach that requires more than just good nutrition.”

Consistent Quality as An Advantage

So what sets U.S. Soy apart? Laovoravit credits America’s logistics infrastructure and quality standards.

“USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) quality checks are amazing. U.S standards are much stricter than those of other countries,” said Laovoravit, who has participated in a number of USSEC-sponsored educational events and tours.

Natural advantages matter too. “I was amazed at how Midwest farmers store soybeans in big piles outside,” he recalls of a recent harvest trip to the U.S. “That would never work in Thailand or Brazil. You don’t get that deep freeze.”

The temperate climate enables natural drying and consistent storage, which preserves quality from harvest to delivery. The scale of American farming operations and superior topsoil in the Midwest further contribute to the product’s reliability.

For Laovoravit, these advantages translate directly into business results. While competitors struggle with inconsistent quality that can cause digestive issues or feed rejection, U.S. Soy’s reliability allows his family’s business to guarantee performance—a critical factor when expanding into skeptical new markets.

“Continuing to nurture a strong logistical system is really important,” Laovoravit emphasizes, noting that Brazil’s improving infrastructure could challenge this advantage. “But the weather and climate differences will always favor the U.S.—that natural drying and storage capability can’t be replicated in tropical climates.”

This article is funded in part by the soy checkoff.