Honda aims for one million export record
MARYSVILLE, OHIO - Honda is poised to set an export record this year - in soybeans, sent to Japan from its Ohio manufacturing base.
Honda Trading America expects to sell a record one million soybean bushels this year to Japan for use as tofu and soy sauce.
The soybeans are grown on 22,000 acres of farmland surrounding the Marysville Auto Plant - and even on the infield of the factory's vehicle test track.
Honda began growing soybeans in 1986 as a way of re-using shipping containers that were returning to Japan empty after bringing automotive parts to the manufacturing plant.
The equivalent of 35-40 semi-trailer loads of soybeans are shipped to Japan each month.
The soybean processing plant employs 18 people and processes 550 bushels of soybeans every hour. The processing plant removes pods, stems and weed seeds as well as cleaning and sorting the soybeans. The facility also has a US$1 million dust-collection system to prevent soybean dust from entering the Honda paint plant.
Honda Trading America is looking at export markets for soybeans in Australia and other Asia-Pacific countries such as Thailand.
American Honda's Marysville plant builds Accords, Civics and Acura models for the North American market.
Honda Trading America also exports hay to Japan; beef and pork from the US and Mexico to Asian countries including Korea and Japan; and exports wine from the Napa Valley to restaurants around the world.
2 June 2005
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