ASA Advocacy on ACRE Means Improved Revenue Protection   In late December, following months of diligent work by ASA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would use the 2007 and 2008 Season Average Prices in determining the revenue guarantee for the new Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. The two-year national average soybean price for the 2006 and 2007 crop years was $8.42/bushel compared to an estimated $10.13/bushel for 2007 and 2008 (the final number will be announced at the end of the 2008 crop marketing year). ASA’s legwork to generate support for using 2007 and 2008 figures was key to USDA’s last-minute decision. ASA grower leaders and staff worked throughout the fall meeting with Members of Congress, USDA officials, and even Office of Management and Budget officials to press their case. This ASA policy success will provide a revenue guarantee that is $60 to $70 per acre higher than if USDA had used 2006 and 2007 prices, and makes available to U.S. soybean farmers billions of additional dollars in revenue guarantees. For a producer with 500 acres of soybeans, this one ASA policy success could provide up to an additional $30,000 in revenue protection for 2009.

ASA Submits 2009 Policy Priorities To Obama Administration  ASA submitted a document outlining its 2009 policy priorities to the Obama Administration ahead of President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20. By developing and advocating soybean farmer top policy priorities to the incoming Obama Administration, ASA continues its rich tradition of working in the best interest of U.S. soybean farmers. ASA looks forward to working closely with the Obama Administration to achieve its policy priorities, which not only make sense for soybean farmers, but also benefit our entire country through reduced dependence on foreign oil, job creation, increased U.S. exports and a modernized infrastructure system. ASA’s top policy priority for 2009 is the long-term enactment of the biodiesel tax credit before it expires on Dec. 31, 2009. Other policy priorities outlined in the document are: 2008 Farm Bill implementation; International Trade, including the passage of the Colombia, South Korea and Panama Free Trade Agreements; agricultural biotechnology and productivity; implementation of the biobased label and the BioPreferred Procurement Program; climate change legislation that provides offsets and allows participation in carbon credit markets, and funding for upgrade of locks and dams in economic stimulus legislation.

Commodity Organizations Reiterate Importance of 2008 Farm Bill Safety Net   The grower-leaders of the ASA, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers and National Sorghum Producers issued a joint statement last week which said: ”As the leaders of participant organizations at the 2009 Commodity Classic, which represent almost 90 percent of our nation's crop area planted, we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of the farm safety net as written in the 2008 Farm Bill. The small investment in agricultural programs by the federal government provides an excellent return for the American people. The 2008 Farm Bill also includes many other reforms that will assist farmers in becoming more financially sound. Production agriculture is a volatile business, and a workable farm safety net is vital to the security of our industry. The continued production of an abundant, affordable and safe food and feed supply for Americans and all those we export to around the world will be affected if this safety net is changed. The purpose of a five-year farm bill is to provide stability to producers, agricultural operations and the food system. The 2008 Bill should not be reopened before it expires in 2012. Our organizations look forward to continued work with the Obama Administration and Congress to ensure farm program monies are spent wisely.”

USDA Funding for Soybean Rust Monitoring   Thanks to ASA’s advocacy, USDA will continue to provide funding for the Asian Soybean Rust Pest Information Platform for Education and Extension. ASA has been working with USDA and Congress to secure federal funding for PIPE because the system helps protect the $30 billion U.S. soybean crop and saves soybean producers millions of dollars annually. USDA will be providing over $750,000 in funding for the soybean rust sentinel plot and diagnostic network in FY09. These USDA funds will be leveraged with approximately $500,000 in federal and state checkoff investments and available state funding to maintain a scaled-down soybean rust sentinel plot and diagnostic network. ASA’s joint efforts with USDA in preparing for and now monitoring the advancement of soybean rust have been highly effective in protecting the U.S. soybean crop valued at more than $30 billion, and saving soybean producers millions of dollars annually in unnecessary fungicide applications. While ASA is pleased that USDA will provide PIPE funding in 2009, ASA is already working with Congress and USDA to secure increased funding as part of USDA’s regular budget for FY10 and subsequent years.

South Korean Regulatory Approvals for New Soybean Traits   ASA welcomed announcements that two new biotech-enhanced soybean varieties, the Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ Soybean (MON 89788) from Monsanto and the LibertyLink® soybeans (A2704-12) from Bayer CropScience have both achieved additional import approval milestones from Korean regulatory agencies that pave the way for commercialization in the United States. The Roundup Ready 2 Yield Soybean received food safety approval from the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The approval from KFDA, along with the environmental safety authorization received from the Rural Development Administration (RDA) on Jan. 19, completes a 2-year regulatory review process in Korea. As such, and together with other previous obtained approvals, there are no longer any requirements for planting and movement stewardship restrictions on soybeans with the Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait in the United States. LibertyLink Soybeans also reached another milestone in South Korea with the approval by RDA. The LibertyLink Soybean application now moves into the final stages for approval under KFDA. ASA has worked in partnership with Bayer CropScience and Monsanto to educate foreign buyers on biotechnology and for regulatory clearances of these new traits, and worked with South Korean industry and regulators to move forward with authorizations for these new soybean varieties. These approvals are critical to U.S. soybean growers and to our soybean and soybean product customers in South Korea.

Fourteenth Annual Commodity Classic Sets New Trade Show Record   This year’s sold out trade show at the 2009 Commodity Classic Feb. 26-28, at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, was the largest in Commodity Classic history, with more than 236 companies in more than 943 booths. The trade show has more than doubled in size since the first Commodity Classic held in 1996. Total registrations were 4,527, only five less than the record set in 2008. More growers were in attendance in 2009 than in 2008, with a final number of 1,513 growers, just four short of the record set in Las Vegas in 2004. Media registrations were 137. More than 83 items were sold and 350 people participated in the ASA Soy Social and Auction on Thursday, Feb 26. More than $52,000 was raised. The auction proceeds are used to benefit SoyPAC, ASA’s political action committee. Commodity Classic 2010 will be held March 4-6, in Anaheim, Calif.

New Association Management System and ASA Today Newsletter Design   Work continues to provide ASA and State Soybean Affiliates with a new Association Management System (AMS) to replace ASA’s current 13-year old membership database system. The new AMS system will provide ASA and states a web-based, real time system that integrates membership, communication, event planning, surveying, analytics and more. The new AMS system will make it possible for us to better serve and interact with our members in ways that are both timely and relevant. Beginning with the January 2009 edition of the Association’s members-only newsletter, the ASA Today was redesigned for the first time in more than 10 years. The new design provides a more contemporary look that better reflects the progressive policy agenda and advocacy work of the ASA.