CHS Declares Low Linolenic Soybean Contracting Opportunities with Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. for the 2007 Growing Season

30/10/06 CHS Inc. has announced that it will be contracting low linolenic soybeans from Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., for the 2007 growing season to provide the food marketplace with low lin soy oil to support the demand for healthier foods.

Contracts for these opportunities will be made through elevators as well as directly with growers in Southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa. CHS will pay a $0.40 per bushel premium for the identity-preserved beans upon delivery to the CHS crushing plant in Fairmont, Minn.

Growers with interest in this program can also contact their local Pioneer sales representative for more information. Growers will have multiple Pioneer brand low linolenic soybean varieties to choose from in this region; these include 92M41, 92M73 and 93M01. All of these low lin varieties contain the Roundup Ready trait.

"We're pleased to have additional seed choices for growers to choose from," said Dennis Wendland, senior vice president of oilseed processing for CHS. "This provides a greater opportunity for performance and yield, along with the added premium at delivery to CHS."

Outside the fall harvest season, growers taking part in the program will be required to have on-farm storage for the low lin soybeans with delivery to the Fairmont facility. During peak harvest, CHS will work with producers on delivery windows that can facilitate field direct delivery. Other delivery times will be spread throughout the year.

This program marks a continuing expansion of the national low lin soybean contracting opportunities with Pioneer soybeans. The 2007 growing season marks the third consecutive year Pioneer has marketed low lin soybeans, though Pioneer has been breeding low lin soybeans since the early 1990s.

This program provides an added value opportunity for growers to receive a premium for their low lin soybeans above the commodity price. Producers can also take advantage of traditional marketing options available with other soybeans.

"We're very excited about expanding low lin soybean contracting through CHS in this significant soybean production area of Southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa," said Marv Wilson, Pioneer marketing director. "This is great news for growers seeking greater income through premiums and the food processors that seek to market healthier foods."

Low lin soy oil is part of an expanding platform of soy products launched by Pioneer for the food, feed and industrial marketplaces. These include leading-edge soy output traits and products that deliver premiums to growers and top quality oil products to companies across the value chain.

The low lin soybeans feature oil with a linolenic acid profile of less than 3 percent and offer a better natural stability and increased shelf life. The low lin oil eliminates the need for partial hydrogenation, which creates trans fats. Low lin oil supports the efforts of food companies to reduce or eliminate trans fats from their products.