U.S. Soybean Export Council’s (USSEC) CEO Jim Sutter announced Friday that the organization achieved the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) rating “highly effective.”

USSEC’s rating is based on its processes, including its Unified Export Strategy (UES), which the organization has worked hard to continuously improve.

Sutter stated that USSEC received higher FY16 allocations from both the Foreign Market Development (FMD) and Market Access Program (MAP).

Sutter added the achievement is impressive not only because they received more money, but there was more competition for the money.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is a cooperator with FAS for USSEC, and applauded the highly effective rating and the work of the soybean family this week.

“We are pleased that our international marketing program has reached this highest level of effectiveness as measured by FAS,” said ASA Secretary Ron Moore, who serves as chair of the Trade Policy and International Affairs Committee. “The entire soy family – USSEC, USB, and ASA – have been working to continuously improve our international marketing efforts, coordination, strategies, evaluation, and success stories. This recognition by FAS recognizes the effectiveness of our marketing efforts as well as the wise investment of both taxpayer funding from FAS and checkoff resources from farmers.”