The American Soybean Association (ASA) today thanked Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman for her prompt attention to fixing a glitch in the method for calculating eligible oilseed acreage for producers who elect to maintain their contract acreage, as provided in the 2002 Farm Bill. Following concerns raised by ASA, its state affiliates and other oilseed organizations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a revision in how it will establish bases that determine payments under the new Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program contained in the 2002 Act.

"ASA detailed its concerns about this provision several weeks ago in a letter to the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, followed by a letter to Secretary Veneman last week that continued to press for a revision," said ASA President Dwain Ford, a soybean producer from Kinmundy, Illinois. "We thank Secretary Veneman and Senators and Congressmen from soybean states for their strong support in working to resolve this issue for soybean farmers."

If not revised, the provision would have penalized producers who used planting flexibility under the 1996 FAIR Act to introduce annual rotations of oilseeds and program crops on individual farms. Without a correction, these producers would have lost one-half of the additional oilseed base, and corresponding direct and counter-cyclical payments, to which they should be entitled.

"This is an example of how ASA is working to ensure that ASA members and all U.S. soybean producers are treated fairly in the 2002 Farm Bill and under other government programs," Ford said.