Buyers of soybean meal have traditionally measured its value simply through protein content, but new research proves that the difference is in the details. All quality indicators – crude protein, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, sugars, and amino acid profiles – should be taken into account by purchasers to consider the meal’s true value.
A recent meta-analysis looked at 18 different studies and 1,944 samples of soybeans from Argentina, Brazil, India, and the United States to quantify the relationship between the country of origin and the chemical composition, protein quality, and nutritive value of the resulting soybean meal. The data from this study were then processed by the Nutrient Value Calculator (NVC), a software tool constructed by Genesis Feed Technologies. Genesis co-founder and CEO Peter Schott provides more detail in Feedstuffs about how this tool was developed to translate the nutritional value of soybean meal into dollars per metric ton. The nutritional value spread or nutritional value difference between origins combined with the relevant price data between the origins can help feed ingredient buyers to more easily compare and contrast the nutrient value of different feed options and demonstrate the savings that come with high nutrient value ingredients such as U.S. Soy.
“Price is always important, but as many of you know, what is most important is the value you receive for the price you paid,” says Carlos Salinas, USSEC Regional Director – Americas, who until recently served as Senior Director of Soybean Meal. “When it comes to feed ingredients, the value differentiator is nutrition.” The details, he reiterates, make the difference.
