DuPont Pioneer and CHS Inc. (CHS) announced today that CHS Processing and Food Ingredients will offer production contracts for Pioneer brand Plenish high oleic soybeans for 2018 production in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. This is the second year CHS is contracting soybeans to be processed at its Fairmont, Minn., plant, increasing grower access to this value-added market opportunity.
“CHS is focused on helping its farmer-owners grow, and this regional collaboration with DuPont Pioneer creates new higher-margin soybean market opportunities,” says Dave Mack, CHS director, Processing and Food Ingredients, oils and proteins. “It also benefits CHS food ingredients’ customers by meeting consumer demand for healthy, versatile vegetable oils, and we are exploring ways it may provide benefits to our industrial lubricants business because of the oil’s excellent stability.”
Farmers who contract with CHS to grow Pioneer brand soybeans with the Plenish high oleic soybean trait in the 2018 growing season will be eligible for a grain premium. Additional program details including delivery information are available from CHS Minnesota soybean merchandisers and area Pioneer sales professionals.
“Plenish high oleic soybeans have been developed for this specific growing area and have outstanding yield and agronomic performance in the field,” says Randy Schlatter, DuPont Pioneer area lead. “We’re pleased to be working with CHS to bring these higher-value soybeans to market in Minnesota and Iowa.”
The development and commercialization of Plenish high oleic soybeans illustrate how biotechnology can provide direct benefits to the food industry, consumers and growers.
With 0g transfat per serving and 20 percent less saturated fat than commodity soybean oil, Plenish high oleic soybean oil provides a sustainable, U.S.-grown, soy-based trans-fat alternative for food companies and foodservice operators. The improved fatty acid profile provides the highest oxidative stability level of any commercially produced soybean oil. Additionally, this enhanced stability means longer fry life in restaurant applications and less polymerized oil buildup on equipment, which reduces cleaning costs.
For food manufacturers, the oil’s stability extends the shelf life for packaged food products without sacrificing flavor and eliminates the need for artificial preservatives, creating the opportunity for a cleaner ingredient label.
The oil’s exceptional stability also allows it to be utilized by the chemical industry as a renewable, environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based products. Pioneer brand Plenish high oleic soybean varieties are being developed with elite genetics using Pioneer’s Accelerated Yield Technology 4.0. Multiple years of local testing has confirmed yields are on par with similar elite commercial soybean varieties.
