Qualified State Soybean Board (QSSB) and USSEC representatives visited Ecuador from July 14-19 for a closer look at USSEC’s implementation of educational programs and marketing in that country.  U.S. market share for soybean meal in Ecuador is 80%, a percentage which has grown dramatically over the past few years.

The team traveled to the cities of Guayaquil and Quito and met with some of the country’s largest users of U.S. soybean meal.  The group visited feed associations APROBAL (Asociación de Productores de Balanceados [Balanced Feed Association]) and AFABA (Asociación de Fabricantes de Alimento Balanceado [Feed Manufacturers Association]); animal integrators PRONACA, BIOAlimentar and Avicola Agoyan; Alimentsa New Feed Plant; and Produmar Polyculture Farm, a large shrimp and tilapia producer.  They also toured the Port of Guayaquil and met with USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) Marketing Specialist Andres Barahona.
In 2012, Ecuador was the fifth largest importer of U.S. soybean meal, importing 517,000 metric tons (MT) of U.S. soybean meal equaling approximately $250 million.  2013 projections show that U.S. soybean meal exports are up as much as 25%, on pace to set a record.  The market for Ecuador is expected to continue its rapid expansion, as the country’s middle class continues to grow and the projected $140 million market for soybean oil for food and industrial applications takes shape.  Ecuadoran importers prefer the quality of U.S. soy to soy from other origins, which has allowed the U.S. to gain its superior market share in the country.
USSEC currently has educational programs in this region for poultry, swine and aquaculture in addition to RRPC (Regional Animal Production Courses) put on by USSEC that are offered to these customers.  Other USSEC programs in the region include topics such as import duties and management; risk management; how and when to buy U.S. soybean meal; and aquaculture demonstrations aimed at increasing the consumption of soybean meal in fish diets.