North Carolina · Vietnam · Philippines

Intelligence

Understand demand, find buyers and compare what a better sale could mean for the farmer.

Explore the map

Who to interview about soybean demand

These public sources identify businesses to approach in North Carolina, Vietnam and the Philippines. Compare how domestic and overseas buyers value feeding quality, then follow each purchasing route back to the grower.

Sources checked October 20–21, 2026. This is an initial shortlist. Participation, current buying terms and routes from NC growers remain unconfirmed.

The study targets completed interviews, not a count of names. Recruit additional contacts within each market to allow for declined invitations, nonresponses and shared purchasing teams.

North Carolina

Connect feed-buyer interviews with bean sourcing and processing staff at Perdue, Cargill and Mule City. Establish which products each processor can supply and whether they meet the buyer’s specifications. Review the receiving leads and their current limitations before building a farm-sale comparison.

Mountaire / Prime Quality

Poultry feed and grain purchasing

Mountaire describes soybean meal as a main feed ingredient, with nutritionists tailoring diets by growth stage. Its Prime Quality grain business operates in North Carolina as well as other states.

People to involve

NC feed ingredient procurement, poultry nutrition and Prime Quality grain merchandising staff

Main question

For a recent meal purchase, what determined the supplier and price? Did digestible amino acids or consistency affect either decision?

Still to confirm

The NC purchasing team, current meal suppliers and any link to local bean contracts. Grain merchandising and feed ingredient purchases may use different routes.

Mountaire’s feed and grain operations ↗

House of Raeford / Nash Johnson

Poultry nutrition and feed production

House of Raeford lists a Rose Hill feed mill in its NC operations. It describes feeds made from corn and soybean meal to formulas developed by its nutritionist.

People to involve

Rose Hill feed ingredient purchasing and poultry nutrition staff

Main question

How did nutrition and purchasing staff choose the meal for a recent feed formulation? Which quality measures, if any, changed the specification or price?

Still to confirm

The contracting company, meal suppliers, accepted analyses and delivery requirements. Trace any proposed quality payment through the processor to the grower.

North Carolina operations ↗Feed formulation and quality ↗

Smithfield Foods / Smithfield Grain

Swine feed, soybean meal and grain procurement

Smithfield’s 2025 annual report identifies soybean meal as a main feed ingredient and lists NC feed facilities. Its grain business publishes soybean discount schedules for NC receiving regions.

People to involve

NC grain and meal procurement staff, together with swine nutrition staff

Main question

How are meal quality and price assessed for your NC feed operations? In a recent purchase, did digestible amino acids or consistency change the terms?

Still to confirm

Current receiving locations, processor links and contracts. The linked soybean schedules were revised in October 2024; confirm current terms. They do not establish an amino-acid premium.

2025 annual report · filed March 2026 ↗Smithfield Grain discount schedules ↗

Perdue AgriBusiness

Bean purchasing, regional processing and export sales

Perdue publishes grain-merchandising contacts for NC facilities and describes soybean and meal exports through Chesapeake, Virginia. Its Cofield page identifies grain and oilseed operations. These provide leads for connecting farm purchases with processing and end markets.

People to involve

NC grain origination, soybean meal merchandising and processing-quality staff; involve nutrition or export staff for the route discussed

Main question

For a recent soybean purchase, how did expected meal and oil value affect the bid, if at all? What would need to change for verified feeding quality to alter the grower’s terms?

Still to confirm

The receiving site, current acceptance, delivery window and payment terms. Confirm Cofield’s receiving and crush status after its announced phased restart; the feed mill was dismantled. Trace any export route to a named purchaser and contract.

Public enquiry route

Start with NC grain origination and request the meal merchandising and quality teams. Confirm the appropriate receiving site; a Greenville contact does not establish where a shipment will be processed or sold.

Perdue’s NC grain-merchandising contacts ↗
Cofield grain and oilseed facility ↗Cofield restart statement · July 2026 ↗Perdue’s soybean and meal export business ↗

Cargill · North Carolina

Soybean origination and crushing

Cargill identifies Fayetteville as a soybean crush plant and publishes local origination contacts. An April 2026 NC Department of Agriculture article also identifies Fayetteville as a processor of NC beans. Neither source establishes a payment for digestible amino acids.

People to involve

NC grain origination, soybean meal merchandising and plant quality staff

Main question

For a recent NC bean purchase, which quality measures affected the bid or deductions? How, if at all, did meal buyers’ specifications influence the terms offered to the grower?

Still to confirm

Current receiving arrangements, accepted analyses, processing costs and any contract that passes extra value to the grower. Check shared buying decisions with the Cargill Vietnam lead and ownership links to Wayne-Sanderson before counting independent demand.

Public enquiry route

Ask the local origination team to connect the bean-purchasing discussion with meal sales and plant quality. Obtain a dated offer for the intended delivery period before comparing returns.

Cargill’s Fayetteville origination contacts ↗
Cargill’s Fayetteville soybean crush plant ↗NC Department of Agriculture · April 2026 ↗

Wayne-Sanderson Farms

Poultry nutrition and soybean meal purchasing

The company’s November 2024 Mocksville feed-mill announcement describes soybean meal use in diets for different poultry stages. Its animal-care page identifies in-house nutritionists, supporting a paired nutrition and ingredient-purchasing interview.

People to involve

NC feed ingredient procurement and poultry nutrition staff, with Mocksville plant input where relevant

Main question

For a recent meal purchase, how did nutritionists and purchasing staff choose the supplier? Did digestible amino acids or processing consistency affect the specification, price or volume?

Still to confirm

The purchasing entity, current meal suppliers, accepted tests and the route back to bean suppliers. Continental Grain identifies Wayne-Sanderson as a joint venture with Cargill; verify purchasing responsibility rather than assuming independent demand.

Public enquiry route

Use the published corporate office contact to request feed ingredient procurement and poultry nutrition staff. Interview participation and the responsible team remain to be confirmed.

Wayne-Sanderson’s corporate contact page ↗
Mocksville feed-mill announcement · November 2024 ↗Wayne-Sanderson’s nutrition staff ↗Continental Grain’s description of the joint venture ↗

Braswell Family Farms

Layer nutrition and specialty feed production

Braswell identifies a feed mill in Nashville, NC, soybean meal in its hen diets and formulation with animal nutritionists. It offers conventional, organic and nutritionally enhanced feeding programs, providing a layer-feed perspective on ingredient value.

People to involve

Feed ingredient purchasing and layer nutrition staff

Main question

For a recent soybean meal purchase, which analyses or formulation needs changed the supplier or price? How did consistency and amino-acid supplements affect the choice?

Still to confirm

The feed program, current meal suppliers, accepted tests and link to NC bean suppliers. Separate certification requirements from feeding-quality payments. Published truckload minimums concern finished-feed sales, not ingredient purchases.

Public enquiry route

Request ingredient purchasing and layer nutrition staff through the Nashville office. Confirm who can discuss specifications and buying terms for the feed program being considered.

Braswell’s public office contact ↗
Braswell’s feed ingredients and formulation ↗Braswell’s feed programs ↗

Case Farms

NC poultry feed operations

Case Farms lists the Calypso feed mill in Mount Olive and the Shelby feed mill in North Carolina. Its poultry FAQ describes a predominantly corn- and soy-based diet. The specific soy products and purchasing arrangements need confirmation.

People to involve

NC feed ingredient purchasing and poultry formulation staff

Main question

Which soy product did you buy for a recent feed production run, and why? Did digestible amino acids, processing quality or consistency affect the specification or price?

Still to confirm

The product, purchasing authority, suppliers, accepted analyses and route back to NC growers. Treat the two mills as one business interview and check whether they share purchasing decisions.

Public enquiry route

Use the published Calypso or Shelby feed-mill office contact to request the responsible ingredient buyer and formulation staff.

Case Farms’ NC feed-mill contacts ↗
Case Farms’ locations and feed mills ↗Case Farms’ description of its poultry feed ↗

Mule City Specialty Feeds

Local soybean processing and specialty feeds

Mule City describes soybean products processed at its Benson mill. Its standard meal label lists minimums of 45% crude protein and 6.5% fat; its product overview describes Hi-Energy meal at 38% protein and 18% fat. These differences provide a lead for examining how processing, protein and retained oil affect feed sales.

People to involve

Bean sourcing, processing quality and feed formulation staff

Main question

Which customers choose each product, and why? For a recent sale, how did digestible amino acids, energy and consistency affect the choice and price? How did those terms affect the bean bid?

Still to confirm

Current bean origin and purchasing arrangements; processing and oil removal; product and oil yields; available capacity, minimum runs and accepted analyses. Confirm whether additional feed value reaches NC growers. Insta-Pro branding alone does not establish the processing configuration or digestible amino-acid values.

Public enquiry route

Request the people responsible for bean sourcing and processing quality, together with feed formulation input. Confirm whether they purchase directly from growers.

Mule City’s Benson office contact ↗
Mule City’s soybean products and Benson processing ↗Mule City Soybean Meal product label ↗Insta-Pro’s description of extrusion and pressing ↗

Prestage Farms

Turkey and swine feed production and grain purchasing

Prestage describes its own turkey and pig feed production and local grain-buying program. Its NC contact listings identify Clinton and Moltonville feed mills, a feed-analysis laboratory and a grain-purchasing representative serving three NC locations.

People to involve

NC feed ingredient procurement, turkey or swine nutrition and feed-analysis staff

Main question

Which soy ingredients do your NC feed operations buy, and who approves their specifications and price? For a recent purchase, did digestible amino acids, processing quality or supply reliability affect the terms?

Still to confirm

Current soy products and suppliers, the purchasing entity, accepted analyses and any link to grower contracts. The grain contact page does not identify accepted crops or establish soybean acceptance. Check shared purchasing across locations before counting demand.

Public enquiry route

Select North Carolina under Grain Purchasing Representatives for the Harrells, Hwy 421 and Moltonville contacts. Ask for the soy-ingredient buyer and relevant nutrition staff; the grain representative may handle a different product.

Prestage’s NC grain and division contacts ↗
Prestage’s feed production and grain-buying program ↗Prestage’s NC operations and purchasing contacts ↗
Who could assemble and move NC supply?

Use the grower, aggregation and logistics interviews to test whether a buyer’s volume and delivery schedule are practical. Begin by confirming soybean acceptance, then ask how lots would be kept separate, who would hold the grain and who would pay for storage, testing and transport.

Southeastern Grain Company

Barnhill Capital Management lists Southeastern Grain among its investments and describes a grain storage and distribution network that includes NC, with a Smithfield relationship. Its public contact provides a route to request the operating grain team.

Ask which sites currently accept soybeans, whether growers could pool lots to a buyer’s specification, and who would buy and pay for the beans. Confirm storage, segregation and handling charges. Check the Smithfield relationship before treating the two interviews as independent demand.

Barnhill’s business description and public contact ↗

C.A. Perry and Son

The company publishes warehousing contacts for Tyner and Valhalla and transport contacts in Woodville. These are leads for checking services; the pages do not establish soybean acceptance or a bean-purchasing offer.

Ask whether it can store and move soybean lots separately, retain lot and quality records, and meet the proposed delivery window. Request available capacity and dated charges for the actual route, including loading and any minimum volume.

Warehouse services and contacts ↗Transport services and contacts ↗

Classify each completed interview by the role it covers. A storage or transport discussion contributes to the four grower, aggregator and logistics interviews; it does not by itself establish another buyer. Count each business once across the study.

Vietnam

Dabaco / Dabaco Oil

Soybean crushing and integrated feed production

Dabaco makes soybean meal from imported beans for livestock, poultry and aquaculture feed. Its 2026 announcement describes expanded crushing capacity. Interviews with its procurement and processing teams could establish whether quality requirements affect bean sourcing and prices.

People to involve

Dabaco Oil bean procurement and import staff, with processing quality and feed formulation input

Main question

For a recent bean purchase, which characteristics mattered after crushing? Who set those requirements, selected the origin and agreed the price?

Still to confirm

The purchasing company, current bean and meal specifications, origin requirements, recurring shipment size and import route. Request the current specification sheet before using the website’s quality table. Plant capacity does not establish available demand.

Public enquiry route

Use the published product contact to request Dabaco Oil’s bean procurement and import team, then pair them with processing quality and feed formulation staff. Confirm who approves the bean purchase and whether suppliers contract directly or through a trader.

Dabaco’s meal product and enquiry page ↗
Dabaco’s 2026 plant announcement ↗Dabaco’s meal description and published quality table ↗

Vietnam Agribusiness Limited · Phu My

Soybean crushing and port access

Equipment supplier Desmet identifies Vietnam Agribusiness Limited (VAL) as the business behind the Phu My soybean crushing complex and a Bunge–Wilmar venture. Bunge’s 2025 report records a 50% interest in the holding company, Vietnam Agribusiness Holdings. Bean contracting and sourcing responsibilities still need confirmation.

People to involve

VAL commercial and soybean sourcing staff, with plant quality input

Main question

How do you select bean origins and suppliers? What price, quality and shipment volume would NC beans need to offer to compete with your current supply?

Still to confirm

The legal entity on the bean contract, who sets sourcing and quality terms, minimum lots, recurring volumes and segregation costs. Establish any regional procurement role and whether an NC supply route is practical.

Public enquiry route

Ask the published Singapore commercial contact to connect you with VAL’s soybean sourcing and commercial team at Phu My, then involve plant quality staff. Confirm which company would sign the bean contract.

Bunge’s commercial and regional contacts ↗
Desmet’s account of the VAL crushing expansion · December 2025 ↗Bunge 2026 investor presentation · slide 38 ↗Bunge 2025 annual report · note 11, F-39 ↗

GREENFEED

Aquaculture feed and soybean meal use

An ingredient report published in GREENFEED’s aquaculture section lists soybean meal from the United States and other origins, without current volumes or prices. A September 2026 company update describes raw-material specifications, supplier selection and monitoring.

People to involve

Aquafeed nutrition, ingredient procurement and quality-assurance staff

Main question

For a recent aquafeed ingredient purchase, how did you choose and approve the meal supplier? Which analyses were required, and did digestible amino acids, processing quality or consistency change the choice or price?

Still to confirm

The relevant feed business, species, purchasing entity and current meal suppliers. The published report covers aquaculture, not every GREENFEED feed business.

Public enquiry route

Its 2025 report sets out a 2026 plan for centralized purchasing by material group. Request the soybean meal purchasing team with aquafeed nutrition and quality staff, then confirm their current responsibilities and who approves buying terms.

GREENFEED’s public contacts ↗
Ingredient and raw-material report ↗Report’s aquaculture context ↗Raw-material management · September 2026 ↗2025 ESG report · procurement plan, page 40 ↗

De Heus Vietnam

Aquafeed formulation and ingredient sourcing

The Vinh Long 4 ingredient list, updated January 7, 2026, includes soybean meal. It separates meal-manufacturing countries (Vietnam, Brazil and Argentina) from raw soybean origins (Brazil, Argentina and the United States). This is plant-specific evidence, not proof of direct U.S. meal imports.

People to involve

Vietnam ingredient procurement and aquafeed nutrition staff, with input from Vinh Long 4

Main question

For a recent meal purchase, how did you compare local and imported supply? Did digestible amino acids, processing quality or consistency change the supplier or terms?

Still to confirm

Current suppliers, species, quality evidence and the processor link to bean origin. De Heus completed its CJ Feed & Care acquisition in March 2026; check shared procurement before treating former CJ businesses as separate demand.

Public enquiry route

Request the ingredient purchasing and aquafeed nutrition teams. Confirm who can discuss the Vinh Long 4 ingredient list and current buying decisions.

De Heus Vietnam’s public contacts ↗
Vinh Long 4 ingredient list · January 2026 ↗CJ Feed & Care acquisition completed · March 2026 ↗

Cargill Vietnam

Livestock and aquaculture feed

Cargill’s Vietnam profile identifies livestock and aquaculture feed within its Animal Nutrition and Health business. It lists food ingredients and commodity trading as separate activities; the responsible soybean meal purchasing team needs confirmation.

People to involve

Vietnam feed ingredient procurement and nutrition staff for the species in scope

Main question

Walk through a recent protein-ingredient purchase. How did formulation, price and dependable supply affect the choice, and did digestible amino acids change what you bought?

Still to confirm

The buying entity, current soy products and suppliers, and whether decisions are local or shared with other Cargill businesses, including the NC lead. Trace any NC sourcing route through the responsible trading and processing teams; multiple interviews may describe the same purchase.

Public enquiry route

Specify Vietnam and request both feed ingredient purchasing and nutrition input. The country profile also publishes a Vietnam office contact.

Cargill’s animal nutrition enquiry form ↗
Cargill’s Vietnam business profile ↗

Japfa Comfeed Vietnam

Feed manufacturing across livestock and aquaculture

Japfa Vietnam lists feed mills and product lines for swine, poultry, ruminants and aquaculture. Its public office directory provides a route to the business, but does not establish current soybean meal suppliers or buying terms.

People to involve

Feed ingredient purchasing and swine, poultry or aquafeed nutrition staff

Main question

For a recent feed formula, how were protein ingredients selected and priced? Which quality measures, if any, affected the purchase, and how did you assess supply reliability?

Still to confirm

The species and plant covered, soybean meal use, accepted tests and the purchasing entity. Check whether regional plants and brands share procurement before counting their decisions separately.

Public enquiry route

Ask the head or representative office for feed ingredient purchasing and nutrition staff. Multiple plants are leads within one business, not separate completed interviews.

Japfa Vietnam’s office directory ↗
Japfa Vietnam’s feed business ↗

Mavin / Austfeed

Livestock and aquaculture feed production

Mavin’s feed business includes livestock and aquaculture mills. Its 2024 annual report identifies soybean among the main feed inputs and discusses supplier contracts, sourcing diversity and imported-material costs. It does not specify current soy products or suppliers.

People to involve

Austfeed ingredient purchasing, feed nutrition and raw-material quality staff

Main question

For a recent soy-ingredient purchase, how did you weigh feeding value, price and continuity of supply? What evidence would justify changing the supplier or buying terms?

Still to confirm

The soy product, species, purchasing company, current suppliers and accepted tests. Confirm whether the regional Austfeed businesses share procurement; count the group once unless distinct buying decisions are established.

Public enquiry route

Request the Austfeed ingredient purchasing team and a nutrition or quality colleague. The directory lists several operating companies; confirm which one contracts for the purchases being discussed.

Mavin’s group and subsidiary contacts ↗
Mavin’s feed business ↗2024 annual report · printed page 59 ↗

Sunjin Vina

Swine and poultry feed production

Sunjin Vina lists swine and poultry feed products and Vietnamese feed mills. It identifies itself as part of Harim. These pages establish a relevant feed business, while current soybean meal use, suppliers and buying terms need confirmation.

People to involve

Vietnam feed ingredient procurement and swine or poultry nutrition staff

Main question

For a recent feed formula, which protein ingredients and amino-acid supplements did you choose? Did digestible amino acids, consistency or supply reliability change what you bought or paid?

Still to confirm

Current soy products, plant and species covered, accepted tests and who sets the buying terms. Check whether procurement is handled by the Vietnam business, a regional team or another group company.

Public enquiry route

Ask the representative office to connect ingredient purchasing with the relevant nutrition team. Treat the listed mills as one company lead until purchasing responsibilities are established.

Sunjin Vina’s office and factory contacts ↗
Sunjin Vina’s feed business ↗

Philippines

Trace each soy ingredient purchase beyond the immediate seller: identify the product, importer, processor and bean origin. This establishes which business an NC supplier would need to reach.

Identify the ingredient before estimating farmer returns

The BAI register lists concentrates and fermented soy among these aquafeed leads. CJ Selecta describes X-SOY 600 as a manufactured soy protein concentrate for animal feeds. These sources identify products to ask about; current purchases and a route for NC beans still need confirmation.

  • Was the purchase meal, concentrate, fermented soy or a blend? Record the species, life stage, composition and processing.
  • Who makes it, who sells it and where do the beans come from? Establish whether a processor using NC beans could supply the required ingredient and volume.
  • What are the conversion yields and added processing, testing and freight costs? Follow any higher ingredient price back to the processor’s bean bid before estimating a grower premium.

Match amino-acid and digestibility evidence to the ingredient and species before comparing feeding value.

BAI register · March 2026 ↗CJ Selecta’s X-SOY product description ↗

Pilmico / Aboitiz Foods

Feed production and U.S. soy procurement

Pilmico describes digestible essential amino acids and energy as part of soy’s feeding value. Its procurement discussion also emphasizes consistent availability, price and quality.

People to involve

Philippine feed nutrition staff and the responsible procurement team

Main question

In a recent meal purchase, what drove the supplier and price decision? Did a measured quality difference change the contract, or was it handled within formulation?

Still to confirm

Whether the relevant purchases are made locally or through Abaqa, plus current suppliers, volumes and accepted quality tests.

Public enquiry route

Ask whether Abaqa handles the Philippine meal purchases in scope and can arrange a discussion with the relevant nutrition staff. Its role in these purchases needs confirmation.

Abaqa’s published business contact ↗
Pilmico’s U.S. soy procurement discussion ↗

San Miguel Foods

Commercial feed and integrated livestock production

San Miguel Foods describes an integrated business covering feed mills, animal production and processing, including its B-Meg feed brand.

People to involve

Feed ingredient procurement and poultry or swine nutrition staff

Main question

How do nutrition and purchasing staff compare meal offers? In a recent decision, what mattered most among quality, delivered price and reliable supply?

Still to confirm

The purchasing company, current soy products and suppliers, and whether terms differ between commercial feed and internal use.

Public enquiry route

Request the feed ingredient purchasing team and an animal nutrition contact through the corporate enquiry route. The responsible staff and interview participation remain to be confirmed.

San Miguel Foods’ general enquiries ↗
San Miguel Foods’ domestic operations ↗

UNAHCO

Commercial feed, ingredient testing and supplier approval

A May 2026 Iowa Soybean Association visit report traces U.S. meal supplied through AGP and Subic Bay to UNAHCO’s feed mill. A March 2026 USSEC interview with its nutrition executive describes consistency and near-infrared (NIR) testing of incoming ingredients. These reports do not establish an NC supply route or a price premium.

People to involve

Soybean meal procurement, swine or poultry nutrition, and ingredient quality staff

Main question

For a recent meal purchase, what did your ingredient tests change: acceptance, formulation, supplier choice or price? Which digestible amino-acid values, if any, influenced the decision?

Still to confirm

The current supplier and contracting entity, the reported AGP route, species, tests and payment terms. Ask which NIR results are used and how they are validated. Establish who could connect NC supply to the meal purchase. Keep feed brands within one business interview unless separate buying decisions are established.

Public enquiry route

Use the raw-material supplier enquiry route to request purchasing staff, then pair them with nutrition and quality staff. Ask about a recent supplier approval: the specification, evaluation steps, time and costs, and whether it led to an order.

UNAHCO’s supplier enquiry route ↗
UNAHCO’s business and feed brands ↗USSEC interview on consistency and testing · March 2026 ↗Iowa Soybean Association visit report · May 2026 ↗

La Filipina Uy Gongco

Feed, livestock and commodity trading

The company describes feed, livestock and logistics operations. USSEC’s 2022 Philippines trade-mission report records a meeting with its commodity-trading and livestock representatives.

People to involve

Commodity procurement and feed nutrition staff

Main question

Walk through a recent meal import: why that supplier, product and price? Which quality conditions, if any, changed the buying terms?

Still to confirm

The current importing entity, soy product and purchasing team. The 2022 meeting is a historical lead, not evidence of current buying terms.

Public enquiry route

Ask the group office for commodity procurement and feed nutrition staff. Confirm which company would contract for soybean meal and who can discuss its specifications and price.

La Filipina’s published office contacts ↗
La Filipina’s business overview ↗USSEC’s August 2022 trade-mission report ↗

URC / Robina Agri Partners

Commercial feed and integrated hog and poultry production

URC identifies Robina Agri Partners as its agro-industrial business, including animal feed and hog and poultry operations. Robina lists several feed brands; these are treated as one business lead.

People to involve

Feed ingredient procurement and swine or poultry nutrition staff

Main question

For a recent meal or other protein-ingredient purchase, what determined the supplier and price? Did digestible amino acids or batch consistency affect the decision?

Still to confirm

Current soybean meal use, the contracting company, accepted quality evidence and shared buying across brands or internal livestock operations.

Public enquiry route

Request the feed ingredient purchasing team and a nutrition contact through Robina’s public business enquiry route.

Robina Agri Partners’ enquiry form ↗
URC’s description of Robina Agri Partners ↗

General Milling Corporation

Swine and poultry feed manufacturing

GMC describes swine and poultry feed manufacturing, feed mills and grain-handling facilities. This supports a feed-buyer interview lead, but does not establish current soybean meal imports or supplier relationships.

People to involve

Feed division ingredient procurement and swine or poultry nutrition staff

Main question

How did you select protein ingredients for a recent feed production run? Did quality, delivered price or recurring availability change the supplier or contract?

Still to confirm

The purchasing entity, soy products currently used, import or domestic supply routes and who sets specifications. Historical soybean-processing facilities do not establish current bean demand.

Public enquiry route

Request the feed division’s ingredient purchasing and nutrition staff. Confirm the relevant plant and who contracts for its ingredients.

GMC’s public enquiry form and offices ↗
GMC’s feed operations and business history ↗

Vitarich

Poultry and swine feed formulation and procurement

Vitarich lists poultry and hog feeds. Its 2024 annual report identifies soybean meal as a key commodity and describes procurement through Philippine suppliers, providing a lead for investigating the businesses behind a local meal purchase.

People to involve

Feed ingredient procurement, poultry or swine nutrition and ingredient quality staff

Main question

Who supplied a recent meal purchase, and what do you know about the processor and origin? How did digestible amino acids, consistency or supplement costs affect the specification and price?

Still to confirm

Current suppliers, the importer and processor, bean origin, accepted analyses and payment terms. Buying from a Philippine supplier does not establish Philippine-grown beans. Confirm which team sets specifications and contracts across the feed businesses.

Public enquiry route

Request feed ingredient purchasing and the relevant nutrition team through the published corporate contact. Ask who can identify the importer and processor behind a locally purchased meal lot.

Vitarich’s corporate enquiry page ↗
Vitarich’s poultry and hog feeds ↗2024 annual report · printed page 9 ↗

Grobest Feeds Philippines

Aquafeed formulation and protein-ingredient selection

Grobest describes local formulation for shrimp, tilapia and milkfish. The Bureau of Animal Industry’s March 2026 register lists soy protein concentrate, fermented soybean paste and a soybean-meal/seaweed blend under its Philippine company. Registration identifies relevant products; it does not establish current purchases.

People to involve

Philippine ingredient procurement and aquafeed formulation staff

Main question

Which soy ingredients do you currently buy for each species and growth stage? In a recent purchase, how did digestible amino acids, processing and consistency affect product choice, supplier or price?

Still to confirm

Current products, suppliers, volumes, accepted digestibility evidence and local versus group purchasing authority. Its February 2026 supplier code calls for delivery analyses and traceability to origin and manufacturer. Confirm the Philippine plant’s specifications and approval steps, including timing, costs and who pays.

Public enquiry route

Ask for Philippine formulation and ingredient procurement staff. Identify the species and feed product before discussing soybean meal demand.

Grobest Philippines’ public enquiry form ↗
Grobest’s Philippine operations and formulation ↗BAI register · March 2026, PDF pages 191–194 ↗Grobest’s supplier code · February 2026, sections 6–9 ↗

Santeh / Tateh Aquafeeds

Aquafeed formulation and ingredient purchasing

Tateh identifies Santeh Feeds Corporation as its operating company and publishes a supplier purchasing contact. The Bureau of Animal Industry’s March 2026 register lists soy protein and soy protein concentrate under Santeh. These are ingredient leads; current purchases and buying terms need confirmation.

People to involve

Ingredient purchasing, aquafeed formulation and raw-material quality staff

Main question

Which soy ingredients do you use for the species and growth stage being discussed? For a recent purchase, did digestible amino acids or processing quality change ingredient choice, supplier approval or price?

Still to confirm

The soy product, current supplier, accepted digestibility evidence, volume and purchasing authority. Tateh’s branch list includes Pronatural Feed Corporation; check shared purchasing before treating related operations as separate demand.

Public enquiry route

Use the contact listed under Suppliers to request ingredient purchasing staff and a formulation counterpart. Confirm the relevant species, plant and contracting company.

Tateh’s supplier purchasing contact ↗
Tateh’s aquafeed business ↗Tateh’s plants and branches ↗BAI register · March 2026, PDF pages 270–271 ↗

Feedmix Specialist Inc. II

Aquafeed and soy-ingredient purchasing lead

An April 2025 Bureau of Plant Industry certificate lists soybean meal among Feedmix’s commodities. USSEC’s February 2018 report also records aquafeed discussions with Feedmix. The certificate does not establish current shipments, purchase volumes or origin.

People to involve

Aquafeed ingredient procurement, import coordination and formulation staff

Main question

Which soy ingredients do you currently buy, and through which supplier? For a recent purchase, what did digestible amino acids, processing quality or consistency change in the specification or price?

Still to confirm

A current purchasing contact, soy products and suppliers, the importer and processor, accepted tests and delivery requirements. The company website was unavailable when checked; seek an introduction through the industry contacts before relying on this lead for recruitment.

Bureau of Plant Industry certificate · April 2025 ↗USSEC’s aquafeed visits · February 2018 report ↗

Use these leads to test recruitment and refine the interview guide. A feed buyer’s interest becomes relevant to NC growers only when a processor, exporter or grain purchaser can connect it to a workable offer to the grower.

Interview questions & evidence checklist

Questions for buyer interviews

Ask procurement staff as well as nutritionists and processors. Start with actual buying decisions, then establish whether quality measures affected them. Record when a measure has no effect on purchasing terms. Check any stated willingness to pay against dated offers and the authority to approve them.

View domestic and export interview leads →

Buying decisions

Talk through a recent purchase and, if possible, an offer you declined or a trial you did not repeat. What decided each outcome, and who approved it?

Evidence to request

Product, date, quoted price and specification; alternatives considered, reason for the decision and approval role. Ask for an offer or contract where available.

Feeding value

Did digestible amino acids, energy values or antinutritional factors affect that decision? How did meal and amino-acid supplements compare in the complete diet?

Evidence to request

Product, species and stage; measured or predicted values and accepted method; dated ingredient prices, animal performance and feed cost per unit of output.

Processing and consistency

When has variation between batches changed a purchase? Could testing, handling or processing meet your requirements using current supply?

Evidence to request

Results across deliveries, accepted limits, proposed operating changes, who would make them and who pays.

Quality terms

Which values are guaranteed, and whose sample and test decide payment if a delivery misses the agreed limit?

Evidence to request

Dated specification, retained sample, accepted method and laboratory, tolerance, claim deadline and who pays for retesting or rejected loads.

Supply at scale

What lot size, recurring volume and delivery schedule are needed? Can current growers and handlers meet them, and when must they commit?

Evidence to request

Crop year, enrollment and seed-order deadlines; the farms and handler involved, usable storage, segregation requirements, cost responsibilities and a plan for short or rejected deliveries.

Before a first order

What must a new supplier complete before you place an order? Which documents, samples, audits or trial loads are needed, who approves them and how long did a recent approval take?

Evidence to request

Product, producer and receiving plant; approval criteria, dated steps and costs, who pays and any effect on the delivery window. Record supplier approval, paid trials and repeat orders separately.

How the price is set

Do you use regional quality reports or test results from individual loads when choosing suppliers or setting bids? What else explains the price difference?

Evidence to request

Original quotes with currency, unit, delivery place and terms, validity and payment dates; included costs, quality evidence and any premium or discount schedule. Document conversion rates, sources and dates before comparing the same delivery period.

Payment to the grower

Who is eligible, who owes the grower, and what determines when the money is paid?

Evidence to request

The contracting company, eligible seller and receiving site; price basis, deductions, payment trigger and due date, quality holdbacks and any financing or intermediary charges.

What evidence supports a feeding-value claim?

Total amino acids

How much of each amino acid is present. Ask whether this came from a laboratory assay or a near-infrared (NIR) prediction, and on what moisture basis.

Digestible amino acids

The amount of an amino acid multiplied by its digestibility coefficient. Record the species, life stage and whether the coefficient comes from an animal study, reference table or model.

Processing indicators

KOH solubility, trypsin-inhibitor activity and reactive lysine help assess processing. Their interpretation depends on the product and method; they do not directly establish every amino acid’s digestibility.

Calculate digestible amino acids per tonne

This methionine example uses a 2020 growing-pig study of two products made from the same batch of beans. SID means standardized ileal digestibility.

Published composition and mean digestibility; calculated content per metric tonne.
MeasureExtruded and pressed soybeansSolvent-extracted meal
Total methionine, as fed0.58%0.62%
SID coefficient93.8%90.7%
Calculated SID methionine, as fed5.44 kg/tonne5.62 kg/tonne

For the extruded and pressed product: 0.0058 × 1,000 kg × 0.938 ≈ 5.44 kg. These calculations do not establish a statistically significant difference in digestible content. Current NC products require their own evidence.

Ask for both concentration and digestibility, with the product, species and moisture basis identified. Compare energy, other nutrients and complete feed cost before judging value.

Rodriguez, Lee and Stein (2020) · Tables 1 and 5 ↗

Match the evidence to the buyer’s animals and feed

Ask which species, life stage, production conditions and processed ingredient the evidence covers. For aquafeed buyers, request relevant fish or shrimp evidence and check any proposed use of poultry or swine results.

The International Aquaculture Feed Formulation Database uses models to estimate many digestibility coefficients and reports typical ingredient composition. Confirm the basis of each value and how the buyer adjusts it for the actual meal and production system.

IAFFD · how values are estimated and applied ↗

Agree the evidence before paying for a test

  1. Start with the buying decision. Ask whether the result would change formulation, acceptance or price. Separate typical nutrient values from the specification agreed for a sale.
  2. Connect the sample to the delivery. Identify the lot, product and processing history. Agree who samples it, where and when, how it is prepared and handled, and which samples are retained for a dispute.
  3. Agree the method and terms. Confirm the laboratory, units, moisture basis, cost and turnaround. For predictions, check validation for the product and buyer acceptance. Record tolerances, how a shortfall is settled and any price adjustment that reaches the grower.

USDA distinguishes testing a submitted grain sample from inspecting an identified lot using a representative sample. A report on the material sent to a laboratory does not, by itself, establish the quality of an entire delivery.

USDA sampling handbook · lot and submitted-sample definitions ↗

Compare feed costs and animal performance

Ask how meal quality and amino-acid supplements change the complete diet. Request dated ingredient prices, meal inclusion, feed intake and the buyer’s production measure, such as weight gain or saleable meat. Compare feed cost per unit of that output, and distinguish observed performance from assumptions in a formulation model.

A 2024 Hungarian broiler trial priced reduced-protein diets using local ingredient costs. The cheapest treatment, which partly replaced soybean meal with swine meat meal, also reduced carcass yield relative to live weight. Its results show why feed price and production outcomes need separate checks; they do not establish a premium for NC soybeans.

Then ask procurement whether any saving changes the meal bid, supplier choice or quantity purchased. Establish separately what the processor or grain purchaser would pay the grower.

2024 broiler trial · carcass results in Table 6; ingredient costs in Discussion ↗

Pope and colleagues’ formulation studies varied meal protein with corresponding amino-acid and energy values. Estimated meal value changed with ingredient prices; higher-value meal could be used at a lower inclusion rate. Ask which nutrient values, inclusion limits and prices drive the result, and whether the supplier guarantees the values being modeled. A modeled feeding value does not establish a purchase premium.

Authors’ explanation of the formulation studies · pages 1–3 ↗

A nutrient profile and a purchase specification answer different questions

ADM’s ingredient catalog lists amino acids for soybean meal under “Typical nutrient profiles.” The table does not label those values as digestible amino acids or a guarantee for a particular delivery. Ask for the evidence and terms used in the actual purchase.

ADM’s typical meal profile · printed page 27 ↗

NOPA’s 2025/26 meal trading rules provide for retained samples and referee testing, with the testing cost depending on whether a claim is due. Buyers and sellers can adopt, modify or disregard the rules. Confirm the edition and terms agreed for the sale; they do not establish an amino-acid premium.

NOPA’s published rules · 2025/26 edition ↗

AOCS lists Carolina Analytical Services in Bear Creek, NC, among its 2026/27 certified soybean-meal laboratories. The certification program evaluates moisture, protein and fiber results. Confirm digestible-amino-acid testing separately, along with current sample acceptance, fees and the buyer’s approval.

AOCS laboratory listing ↗What the certification covers ↗

Follow a quality claim through to the buying terms

In a March 2026 interview, UNAHCO’s nutrition executive described consistent U.S. soybean meal and the company’s use of NIR to assess incoming ingredients. The account identifies questions for a buyer interview, but gives no price differential or payment to an NC grower.

Ask purchasing staff whether the quality difference changed the supplier, an acceptance limit or the price. Request the specification and dated buying terms, then trace any extra value through the processor and grain purchaser to the farm.

Read the USSEC interview ↗UNAHCO interview lead →
USSEC quality manual · 2021 edition, sections 8–9 ↗Evonik: how NIR predictions are calibrated ↗