ST. LOUIS — Livestock and poultry consume about 98 percent of domestically used soybean meal, making them the No. 1 customer for U.S. soybean producers.
The United Soybean Board recently identified soybean meal usage by state.
“It’s important to realize what a big customer animal agriculture is for soybean farmers,” says Tom Brown, USB director and a farmer from Morral, Ohio.
He sees the connection between soybean farmers and livestock producers firsthand, as his brother serves on the National Pork Board.
Where the animals are
The top 10 soybean meal-consuming states in ranking order are Iowa, North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Minnesota, Alabama, Mississippi, California and Oklahoma.
To see more state rankings regarding livestock production and soybean meal consumption, visit www.animalag.org/Benefits.aspx and click on “Animal Agriculture Economic Analysis Update.”
Where the beans are
One interesting trend is that most top soybean meal-consuming states do not grow much of their own soybeans.
Of the top 10 soybean meal-consuming states, only Iowa and Minnesota are producing enough soybeans to meet the demands of their livestock and poultry producers.
The top 10 soybean-producing states are Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota and Kansas. Together those states account for nearly 59 million acres of soybean production.
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