DuPont Pioneer, Bunge announce Plenish soy contract program

DuPont Pioneer and Bunge North America announced they will work with farmers near Bunge's facility in Delphos, Ohio, to grow Plenish® high oleic soybeans in 2013.

For the 2013 growing season, Pioneer will contract with soybean farmers in the Delphos, Ohio, area to grow Plenish® high oleic soybeans that will be delivered to Bunge's facility for processing or to a participating elevator. Growers will be eligible for a processor-paid incentive for producing and delivering high oleic soybeans. Interest from the market continues to be excellent and the 2013 contract program will support ongoing field and oil testing.

"Ohio soybean growers have demonstrated their ability to produce identity preserved soybeans. The 2013 contract program will provide them an opportunity to earn more income per bushel and strengthen market demand for the soybean industry," said Randy Minton, Pioneer business director.

"We are pleased to be working closely with Pioneer and our farmer customers near Delphos to bring innovative products to market to meet the evolving demand of food manufacturers and consumers," said Rodney Perry, vice president and general manager, Bunge Oils.

The development of Plenish® high oleic soybean oil is an important milestone for Pioneer in its efforts to bring product innovation to the food industry and complements solutions offered by DuPont Nutrition & Health to address the world's challenges in food. High oleic soybean oil provides a soy-based trans fat alternative for food companies and foodservice operators. Plenish® high oleic soybeans from Pioneer contain the highest oleic content (more than 75 percent) of any soybean product under commercial development. The high oleic content significantly increases the stability of the oil and provides greater flexibility in food applications. Plenish® high oleic soybean oil has 0g trans fat per serving and 20 percent less saturated fat than commodity soybean oil, making it a more attractive ingredient for consumer food products.

The Pioneer high oleic soybean trait is part of the total soybean performance package powered by the industry-leading Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT™) system. Field testing has confirmed yields on par with elite commercial products.

Plenish® high oleic soybeans are approaching completion of global regulatory approvals with over 94 percent of U.S. soybean export markets now approved. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed its review of Plenish® high oleic soybeans in 2009 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture deregulation in June 2010 allows Plenish® high oleic soybeans to be grown under contract for ongoing field testing in the United States and additional oil testing by major oil processors and food companies. Processing of the 2013 production is anticipated to occur in 2014 following global regulatory approvals.