Kansas Farmers Directly Impact, Host International Markets

For 25 years, the American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health has worked on behalf of U.S. soybean farmers to build demand in new and developing markets around the world. By pairing technical expertise with strategic partnerships, WISHH works in both food and feed sectors into long-term trade for U.S. soy.

“The world is stronger together and we do have a role in helping with global food security,” Bob Haselwood, Berryton farmer, says. “We are strengthening underdeveloped nations by providing education and fostering relationships with them to have a
preference for U.S. soy.”

Kansas has hosted individuals from more than 45 countries, many through WISHH programs. The groups have varied from producers to purchasers, providing them with educational opportunities, putting a face to a U.S. farmer and immersing them into an American farming operation.

“Countries that consume primarily poultry, aquaculture and dairy products for their protein are an important market to us as those animals eat soybean meal,” Haselwood says.

Cambodia Dairy Counts on U.S. soybean meal

Kirisu Farm, a pioneer in modern milk production in Cambodia, feeds 120 tons of soybean meal each month to its growing herd of 550 cows. Kirisu’s dairy is available in 17 of Cambodia’s 24 provinces and the products sell out quickly in stores.

For dairy cattle, soybean meal is highly digestible and rich in protein as well as energy. It offers a cost-effective source of amino acids, such as lysine and methionine, that are key building blocks to boost milk production and protein content.

Cambodia’s lack of a modern dairy sector means that few employee candidates have experience with cattle. In 2023, the American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health invited Kirisu to send a key employee, Senghong Khlit, to the United States for a WISHH training.

Khlit says his participation in the ASA/WISHH’s 2023 trade team to Kansas opened a new era of insight for his work at Kirisu Farm that uses soybean meal in nutrient-rich feeds. He gained insights into a full range of feed processing practices and equipment along with management to protect feed quality and more.

“It opened a new era for me to understand the U.S. experience as well as from the other international participants,” Khlit says.

In 2024, Cambodia imported 173 thousand metric tons of soybean meal from the United States, a 6 percent increase from the previous year. While Cambodia is not a top 5 importer of U.S. soy, each market is important to farmer profitability.