American Soybean Association First Vice President Mark Berg, United Soybean Board Asia Subcommittee Chair Don Latham, U.S. Ambassador to India Frank Wisner, and U.S. Ag Counsel Tom Pomeroy, along with a representative of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, last week hosted a reception at the United States Embassy located here, to formally open the Association's newest soybean marketing office. Support for this office, and marketing activities within India, is made possible by funding received from the national soybean checkoff program. The event was attended by numerous Indian government officials including the Indian Minister of Food Processing, the Secretary of Animal Husbandry, the Secretary of Food Processing, and representatives of the Indian oilseed crushers and poultry industry.

"One of the key reasons we're emphasizing India, is because within 15 years it's projected that India's population will be the largest in the world, surpassing even China," stated ASA's Mark Berg. "Soybean producers' goal (in India) is to increase internal consumption so there are less of their soybeans on the market internationally," Berg said.

"China was the same situation. We kept promoting soy use in China to the point where in 1994 they actually had to start importing soybeans, soybean meal, and soybean oil. (China) used to be competition to us prior to 1994, and now they are the number 2 buyer of U.S. soy products in just a three-year period," Berg stated. ASA opened its China office in 1982.

"Our office in India is representative of how U.S. soybean producers and their organizations are working smart to expand markets for U.S. soybean producers," Berg said. "We're combining ASA's 40 years of experience in carrying out foreign market expansion activities with funding provided by the national soybean checkoff to develop innovative marketing strategies," Berg asserted.

"There is a significant and growing portion of the Indian population whose demand for higher value food products will increase sharply. Expenditures for meat, eggs and fish have nearly doubled during the last twenty years. In 1993, 26 million of India's households, about 29 percent of total households, were considered middle income or above. By 1998, that number is expected to increase to 47 million," Berg commented.

The India office, established in September 1996 with funding from the national soybean checkoff, will work to educate poultry producers on the benefits of soy protein. "Within (India's) chicken population, only 20 percent are fed a recommended inclusion rate of eighteen percent soybean meal, and the other eighty percent present an enormous market potential," stated Berg.

This ASA office, managed locally by Virgil Miedema, Regional Director, Asia Subcontinent, is the Association's 13th International Marketing Office, and is located at Khungar's Business Centre, #5, 3rd Floor, Yashwant Place, Chanakya Puri, New Delhi - 110 021 India, phone 91-11467-0600. Miedema will manage a staff of four located at this office, plus a consultant based in Pakistan.

Soybeans accounted for 24% of all U.S. crop acres planted in 1996, and represented a farm gate value of more than $16.9 billion. The United States produced 48 percent of the world's soybean production in 1996. The value of U.S. soybean and soy product exports in 1996 exceeded $9.1 billion, positively contributing to the United States trade balance.