MSR&PC

First Purchasers

All soybean producers in every soybean-producing state participate in the checkoff program. The only exception is a producer who holds a current Certificate of Exemption issued by the United Soybean Board. Exempt producers must provide all first purchasers they transact with a copy of their Certificate of Exemption.

Forms & Instructions

The first purchasers (elevator, terminal, processor, seed producer, trucker or extruder, etc.) collect the checkoff from the producer. First purchasers in Minnesota are required to collect on all soybeans purchased, regardless of the state-of-origin.

For more information or for checkoff remittance forms, check below.

Checkoff Remittance Instructions

Non-Producer Status
Form

Checkoff Remittance
Form

First Purchaser FAQs

The entity that first buys the soybeans from a farmer.

The federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act (SPARC) from 1990 requires the assessment to be collected by the first purchaser and reported quarterly.

The checkoff requires soybean farmers to contribute one-half of one percent of the price of each bushel at the first point of sale. Those funds are used to invest in research, market outreach, education and promotional activities to increase farmer profitability.

The net value of the soybean is calculated after quality discounts have been taken including moisture or quality grade. Other fees such as storage, trucking and drying are services provided by the elevator and are deducted after the assessment has been calculated.

The national checkoff was established at the federal level by an act of Congress. State soybean checkoff organizations like MSR&PC do not have the authority to adjust the percentage collected.

The funds are split (50/50) between the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and the United Soybean Board (USB). The funds are then directed by the board of directors, who are elected growers, toward program administration, education, marketing, outreach and research.

Checks are made payable to the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council.

Electronic payment is also available. Contact Minnesota Soybean at (507) 388-1635 or email at info@mnsoybean.com.

All assessment forms/checks are to be submitted to the MSR&PC office monthly as follows on the pdf.

Yes, if the checkoff assessment is not postmarked by a first purchaser by the due date, the entity remitting must be charged a late fee of 2 percent for each month that it is late in remitting. The late fee is compounded monthly until paid.

Yes. Although no soybeans were purchased, you must still submit the form and list “zero” and sign/date by the deadline.

If soybeans are grown in other states, the first purchaser should report that on their Minnesota form and MSR&PC will remit the appropriate funds to those states.

As of October 1, 1995, refunds from the National Checkoff were eliminated. However, in states like Minnesota where the state program is authorized or required to pay refunds, the producer may direct that his or her total assessment be forwarded to the United Soybean Board by requesting a refund from the State program. The authority for this is found in the Order at Section 1220.228 Qualified State Soybean Boards paragraph (v) (A) that reads: If the entity is authorized or required to pay refunds to producers, and request from producers for refunds for contributions to it by the producer following the termination of authority to pay refunds, will be honored by forwarding to the Board that portion of such refunds equal to the amount of credit received by the producer for contributions to its pursuant to section 1220.223 (a)(3).

No. The SPARC act prevents checkoff funds from being used for legislative activities.