UnitedSoybean

House Ag Committee starts 2012 Farm Bill hearings

The House Agriculture Committee will conduct a series of field hearings to gather opinions on the 2012 Farm Bill. The first will be Friday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines followed by hearings in Nampa, Idaho on Saturday, Monday in Fresno, California and Cheyenne, Wyoming on Tuesday.

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Soybean discovery

The discovery of a gene that controls the soybean plant’s main stem growth has been discovered by a Purdue University scientist. Jianxin Ma, an assistant professor of agronomy says the discovery could lead to new types of soybean plants that will allow producers to incorporate desired characteristics into their local varieties.

The National Science Foundation, Indiana Soybean Alliance and Purdue University funded his work.

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Another strong week for corn export sales

USDA reports corn exports for the week ending April 22 were larger than expected while wheat sales were inside estimates and soybeans, bean meal and bean oil were below pre-report projections. Soybean shipments were larger than what’s needed weekly to meet USDA projections for the 2009/10 marketing year but corn and wheat fell short.

Soybeans were pegged at 101,100 tons (3.7 million bushels), 67% lower than the prior week and 53% below the four week average. For the marketing year to date, soybean sales are 1.365 billion bushels, compared to 1.168 billion a year ago.

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Obama visits Poet ethanol plant in Missouri

The president said his policy priorities include growing renewable fuels like ethanol to replace the country’s dependence on foreign oil.

The President was joined by Ag Secretary Vilsack, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and other dignitaries at the Poet plant that was Missouri’s first and will be celebrating its 10th year in Macon next week.

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Corn and Soybean Field Guide available

Purdue Extension’s popular “Corn and Soybean Field Guide” is now available. The pocket-sized publication contains information on disease, weed and insect pest identification, nutrient deficiency and herbicide injury symptoms. The guide costs $7.00.

The guide is available through The Education Store.

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USDA transportation report a good start

Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) says the USDA report on agricultural transportation released on Tuesday, April 27 is a good place to start.

A key point in the USDA report Steenhoek believes is that each transportation mode needs to work together and that adequate funding is needed, in order for the U.S. transportation system to meet the growing needs of U.S. agriculture.

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Grassley says biodiesel tax credit will lead to jobs

Iowa Senator Charles Grassley hopes President Obama’s Midwest visit includes discussion of what the biodiesel tax credit can do for jobs. Grassley points out that tens of thousands of jobs have disappeared before and since the lapse of the biodiesel tax credit.

Something else that Grassley says affects the job market is the implementation of pending free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea.

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NBB urging Obama & Congress on tax credit

The CEO of the National Biodiesel Board says he’s pleased President Obama is taking a tour of the Midwest and is emphasizing the importance of biofuels. But, Joe Jobe tells Brownfield that the NBB is also urging the President and Congress to get moving on passing the biodiesel tax credit extension that lawmakers let die five months ago.

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USDA releases agricultural transportation study

The report, Study of Rural Transportation Issues, was mandated by the 2008 Farm Bill and covers the four major modes of transportation commonly used by agriculture in the United States-truck, rail, barge, and ocean vessel.

The report notes that while the four modes which make up the U.S. ag transportation system work in unison, each mode is controlled and regulated by different agency. It concludes that, “Investment and planning could be better focused if it were more system-based.

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A poor week for grain and oilseed export inspections

According to the USDA, corn and soybean inspections for the week ending April 22 were towards the low end of estimates, while wheat was below all expectations and corn, soybeans and wheat all fell short of wheat’s needed weekly to meet USDA projections for the 2009/10 marketing year.

Soybeans were pegged at 8.029 billion bushels, a decrease of 8.333 million from the prior week and down 298,000 from last year. So far this marketing year, soybean inspections are 1.294 billion bushels, compared to 1.002 billion a year ago.

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