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10/08/2009

OSC Earns Governor's 2009 Excellence in Exporting Award

Contact: Jamie Butts
Ohio Soybean Council
614.476.3100
jbutts@soyohio.com

NEWS RELEASE

October 8, 2009

OSC earns Governor's 2009 Excellence in Exporting Award

International marketing efforts contribute to Ohio's economy

WORTHINGTON, Ohio - Because of its outstanding international marketing efforts, the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) has received its third Governor's Excellence in Exporting Award (E-Award).

Since 1986, the E-Award program has recognized companies and organizations of all sizes that have shown superior performance in exporting or that have demonstrated heightened awareness of exporting as a vital component of the state's economy. Gov. Ted Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher presented the E-Award to OSC, which also received the award in 1999 and 2003, during a luncheon ceremony in conjunction with the 2nd Annual Global Summit in Columbus.

OSC and the soybean checkoff help Ohio soybean producers and Ohio's economy benefit from increasing demand in global soybean markets using international marketing efforts. Every year, nearly half of the Ohio soybean crop is exported to buyers in markets such as Asia, Europe and Latin America.

"We are very proud to be recognized for our international marketing efforts," said Keith Kemp, OSC chairman and Preble County soybean farmer. "International demand is very important to the bottom line of Ohio's soybean farmers, and we've been working hard to make new contacts overseas and to establish Ohio soybeans as a premium product."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Ohio's exports of soybeans and soybean products throughout an 11-year period (1998-2008) added nearly $6 billion to the state's economy, making them Ohio's top agricultural export. OSC is working to grow those export opportunities for Ohio soybean farmers and the state's economy even more by developing new customer relationships and maintaining Ohio's reputation of producing quality, high-protein soybeans.

OSC has a robust and proactive international marketing program. As part of that plan, OSC collaborates with the U.S. Soybean Export Council to market domestic soybeans to buyers around the world. Marketing efforts have resulted in:

• Participation in international business-development missions and market-education trips to Japan, China, Israel, Argentina and Paraguay
• Marketing Ohio-grown food-grade soybeans in southeast Asian markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia
• Establishment of an office in Shanghai to market Ohio-grown soybeans to Chinese buyers - the largest market for U.S. soybean exports, importing more than the next four markets combined
• Promotion of exports of American livestock and poultry, Ohio soybeans top customers, to buyers in Asia and Mexico, in partnership with the U.S. Meat Export Federation and the U.S.A. Poultry and Egg Export Council

"OSC's international marketing program has been a proactive effort," said Kirk Merritt, OSC director of international marketing. "It has opened doors and created opportunities for all Ohio soybean farmers and has generated economic growth for the entire state."

About the Ohio Soybean Council
Headquartered in Worthington, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by a 17-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. For more information: www.soyohio.org.

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