Complete Story
12/19/2007
Lumpe Joins QUALISOY Board of Directors
Contact:
Jamie Butts
Communications Director
614-476-3100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2007
Lumpe Joins QUALISOY Board of Directors
COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio Soybean Council executive director John Lumpe has been appointed to the QUALISOY board of directors in 2008, an industry coalition leading the drive from a single commodity soybean to include higher-value, enhanced-quality soybeans that meet the demands of food and feed customers.
"Ohio is truly a forward-thinking state in the soybean community, and John has done a lot to drive that thinking and to collaborate with the rest of the value chain in Ohio for the benefit of soybean farmers," said Greg Anderson, QUALISOY chairman and soybean farmer from Newman Grove, Neb. "John will be a great addition to our organization."
The 2008 QUALISOY Board of Directors was announced at the United Soybean Board (USB) December meeting. Board membership consists of: USB and American Soybean Association (ASA) farmer-leaders, state soybean board representatives (like Lumpe), and representatives of seed, processing, food and feed companies. QUALISOY's mission is to create added value and increase global competitiveness of the U.S. soybean industry though assistance in the development, commercialization and promotion of enhanced-quality traits.
Low-linolenic soybeans are the first trait in QUALISOY's "research pipeline." Currently, Ohio is the second largest producer of low-linolenic soybeans among soybean producing states. But QUALISOY is about more than just low-linolenic soybeans. QUALISOY supports a number of traits in the pipeline that will improve soybean oil and meal.
Oil trait improvements include mid-oleic soybeans as an improved trans fats solution, and reduced saturates and increased omega-3 for heart health. Meal improvements in the pipeline will improve livestock digestibility, thus increasing feeding efficiencies and reducing environmental impact.
"The various traits coming through the pipeline are really exciting, especially the low-linolenic soybeans," said Lumpe. "The market is demanding cooking oil that has no trans fats, and growing these low-linolenic soybeans is a tremendous opportunity for soybean farmers. It's also important to focus on the qualities that will improve the soybean meal, as we must continue to support animal agriculture, our number one customer."
Lumpe joins fellow Buckeye Ken Bryant, VP and director of technical services for Akey, a nutrition and feed company in Lewisburg, Ohio, on the QUALISOY board.
For more information on QUALISOY and enhanced-quality traits, visit http://www.qualisoy.com/.
For more information on the Ohio Soybean Council, visit http://www.soyohio.org/.
Headquartered in Columbus, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by an 18-member volunteer farmer board, which directs the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The program's primary goal is to improve soybean profitability by targeting research and development projects through the investment of farmer-contributed funds.
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