USSEC’s high impact project recently focused on connecting the benefits of U.S. soy to Japanese swine producers.  A team of key pork producers visited the U.S. from November 17-23 for a week of training and field visits.  Seven leaders from the Japanese Swine Industry traveled to the University of Illinois and the National Soybean Research Laboratory.  USSEC-Japan’s Mike Maekawa and Yoshi Hashizawa escorted the team, which consisted of leading swine producers and a representative from Pig Magazine.  The group participated in lectures led by Dr. Hans Stein from the University of Illinois, where the curriculum focused on the importance of swine nutrition and the benefits of the digestible amino acid profile, net energy, and consistency of U.S. soy to best address the needs of swine through soybeans grown in the United States.
The team also visited a swine research facility, a high quality swine processing plant, soybean greenhouses, feed mills, a supermarket, river loading terminals, and container loading facilities.  These field visits provided the team with the opportunity to experience the dedication to quality and efficiency throughout the U.S. soybean value chain.  USSEC’s high impact program is designed to highlight the benefits of utilizing U.S. soy for delivering high quality nutrition for animal production, the largest consumer of U.S. soy.