Switching Gears
By Brady Holst, ISA Market Development Committee Chair

After serving the Illinois Soybean Association as Chairman of the Soybean Production Committee, I am excited to take on the challenges that come with being the Chairman of the Market Development Committee. In my former role, I helped further the goal of educating Illinois farmers about the newest and most innovative production practices. This will transfer well into my new role, as global buyers prefer the use of more efficient practices that grow the highest-quality soybeans. These practices boost profitability for buyers around the world and result in a preference for soybeans grown in Illinois.

The coming years will be challenging for global markets. Many countries are expected to shift their focus toward self-sufficiency, stepping away from the globalism that brought large increases in trade in the past. With global disruptions from the pandemic and ongoing wars, many countries have investigated more self-reliance in agriculture products to reduce problems with trade disruptions around the world. As Chairman of the Market Development Committee, I can assure you we will continue working to show that increasing global trade benefits all parties involved.

With the large changes underway in domestic soybean-crushing capacity, changes in the flow of soybeans will happen as well. Products moving through the current infrastructure will also change along with the destinations. Because of these large changes coming so quickly, we will need to actively evaluate infrastructure paths and capacity. This will be important to maintain our current lead in delivering agriculture products on time. Reliable, timely delivery of Illinois soy benefits global buyers who expect a predictable product on a predictable timeline.

This year could be one of the largest soybean crops produced in the U.S., so increasing demand is especially important. I look forward to being involved with the Soy Innovation Center to develop new uses for soybeans in the coming fiscal year. I’m most excited about connecting people with great ideas for how to utilize soy in a new way. Connecting them with the right people will make a large impact on soybean demand in the future. The toughest part will be attempting to utilize more soybeans to keep up with the increase of production on fewer acres.

This fiscal year will present all-new challenges. As in farming, the new challenges will keep things interesting. With the global landscape changing every day, you can rest assured the team at the Illinois Soybean Association is looking out for our farmers and the marketsthey utilize. I look forward to working on these new challenges for Illinois farmers as Chairman of the Market Development Committee. Together, we will find new places for our soybeans to go and identify the best ways to get them there.