Introduction Soy Stats, A Reference Guide To Important Soybean Facts & Figures, is a comprehensive resource for statistical information about the U.S. soybean industry and its relationship to world oilseed production. The printed guide will be distributed to thousands of soybean and soy product customers in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world. Soy Stats will also be available to millions more people on the World Wide Web through Stratsoy, the strategic soybean Internet resource, (www.stratsoy.uiuc.edu) funded by U.S. soybean farmers through their producer checkoff program. In 1997, total U.S. production hit the highest level in history at 2,727 million bushels (74.23 million metric tons), and the crop value reached a record high of $17,589 million on an average price paid to farmers of $6.45 per bushel ($237.00 per metric ton). Domestically, soybeans provided 82 percent of the edible consumption of fats and oils in the United States. The domestic crush level reached a record 1,570 million bushels (42.73 million metric tons), while U.S. ending stocks of soybeans were 240 million bushels (6.52 million metric tons). Soybeans accounted for 54 percent of world oilseed production, and 47 percent of those soybeans were produced in the United States. More than 63 percent of the world's soybean trade originated from the U.S. The European Union continued to be the No. 1 U.S. market for whole soybeans, while Japan remained the largest single country customer for U.S. soybeans. Canada was the largest customer for U.S. soybean meal, and China continued to be the largest customer for U.S. soybean oil, plus the fifth largest customer for U.S. soybean meal and the sixth largest customer for U.S. whole soybeans. New features added to the guide this year include statistics showing the U.S. industrial consumption of soybean protein and oil. This information and updated statistics for the U.S. soybean meal use by livestock was obtained from a Promar study funded by the United Soybean Board. This publication is made possible by the contributions of U.S. farmers to the soybean checkoff program.		Table of Contents Soybeans: The Miracle Crop U.S. Soybean Acres Planted 1972-97 Soybean Acres Planted By State 1997 U.S. Soybean Yield 1972-97 Soybean Yield By State 1997 U.S. Soybean Production 1972-97 Soybean Production By State 1997 U.S. Soybean Price To Farmers 1972-97 Soybean Price By State 1997 U.S. Soybean Crop Value 1972-97 Soybean Crop Value By State 1997 U.S. Ind. Soy Protein Consumption 1997 U.S. Ind. Soybean Oil Consumption 1997 Soybean Production Costs 1996 U.S. Soybean Crush 1972-97 U.S. Soybean Ending Stocks 1972-97 Composition of the Soybean Soybeans' Many Uses U.S. Soybean Exports 1972-97 U.S. Soybean & Soy Products Exports 1997 World Oilseed Production 1997 World Soybean Production 1997 Brazil & Argentina Soybean Production 1974-97 World Soybean Trade 1997 U.S. Soybean Meal Production 1972-97 World Protein Meal Consumption 1997 Soybean Meal Use By Livestock World Soybean Meal Trade 1997 U.S. Soybean Oil Production 1972-97 World Vegetable & Marine Oil Consumption 1997 U.S. Fats and Oils 1997 Edible Consumption U.S. Soybean Oil Consumption 1997 Soybean Government Program Costs 1972-1997 Farm Bill Summary ASA International Offices Qualified State Soybean Board Offices U.S./Metric Conversion Table A Bushel of Soybeans Weighs 60 Pounds 1 Metric Ton = 36.74 Bushels of Soybeans 1 Metric Ton = 2,200 Pounds 1 Metric Ton = 1.1 Short Tons 1 Hectare = 2.471 Acres
	Information compiled and prepared by the American Soybean Association, 12125 Woodcrest Executive Drive, Suite 100, Saint Louis, Missouri 63141, 314/576-1770, facsimile 314/576-2786, from United States Department of Agriculture data unless otherwise noted; project funding by the United Soybean Board, 16305 Swingley Ridge, Suite 110, Saint Louis, Missouri 63017, 314/530-1777, facsimile 314/530-1560.