ASA Board member Bob Worth
(left) discusses farm policy with House Ag Committee
Chairman Collin Peterson.
(Photo courtesy of Dan Kuss, Lake Benton Valley Journal)
American
Soybean Association (ASA) Board member Bob Worth
had the opportunity to meet extensively with House
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson
(D-MN). Topics discussed at the meeting included the
biodiesel tax credit extension, farm bill, crop insurance,
and cap and trade.
"Chairman Peterson was
not optimistic that the biodiesel tax credit extension was
going to
happen in the very near term when
Congress returns in September,
which is not a good thing,” Worth said. “Chairman
Peterson thought it was more likely that a one year
extension could get done in the lame duck session
following the elections.”
The Farm Bill was another topic of
discussion. “Chairman Peterson indicated that direct
payments would be up for serious discussion and subject to
change," Worth said. "He also indicated that problems with
ACRE and SURE would be addressed.”
ASA President Rob Joslin
testified before the House Subcommittee on General
Farm Commodities and Risk Management on June 24, at which
time ASA outlined its concerns for the Average Crop
Revenue Election (ACRE) and the Supplemental Revenue
Assistance Program (SURE) programs.
American Soybean Association Board (ASA)
member Ron Moore, a soybean producer from Roseville, Ill.
and Chairman of the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA),
was a featured speaker at the
Sustainable Agricultural
Partnerships 2010 conference, Aug. 10-11, in
San Francisco, Calif. On the first day, Moore presented
"Practical Tools on Mitigating the Accumulation of GHG
with Carbon Sequestration," and on the second day,
"Technological Solutions Including GMO Products."
"These two presentations were on different
topics, however, both are very important and synergistic
to soybean farmers," Moore said. "We
Ron
Moore (ISA photo)
utilize both no-till farming systems and
biotechnology together to produce soybeans in a
sustainable manner that has huge benefits to farmers and
consumers alike."
ASA has been a pioneer in advancing global
acceptance and regulatory clearances for U.S. soybeans
grown from biotech-enhanced varieties, and has worked for
many years to help farmers grow soybeans using production
methods that enhance stewardship of land and water
resources.
Participants from northern states and
Canada attended the 2010
Regional Exchange and Awareness
Program (REAP), hosted by the Mid-Atlantic
Soybean Association (MASA) Aug. 3-7. For the third year,
the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the United
Soybean Boardpartnered to
sponsor this program. Bayer CropScience and Novus also
sponsored the program. The REAP tour is a unique and
educational opportunity for ASA members to learn about the
regional differences and similarities in agriculture,
share ideas between growers and industry, and
help soybean producers build strong
relationships that will help them down the road.
Some stops on this year's Southern REAP tour included
research centers, produce auctions and a mushroom farm.
Here, Billy Rhodes of
Schillinger Genetics tells REAP
participants about soybean crop testing. (ASA
photo by Byron Keelin)
ASA Leaders and Staff Participate in Ag
Media Summit
American Soybean Association (ASA)
President RobJoslin, Chairman Johnny
Dodson, Executive Director, Member & Industry Relations
BillSchuermann, and Communications Director BobCallanan participatedin the
Ag Media Summit in Saint Paul, Minn.
More than 600 people participated in this
annual event that brings together members of the American
Agricultural Editors’ Association, the Livestock
Publications Council and the American Business Media Agri-
Council. This, the largest gathering of
crop and livestock media professionals in the U.S.,
provided ASA leaders with an opportunity to discuss
ASA’s priorities.
(L to R) Colombia Ambassador Carolina Barco Isakson,
ECAT President Calman Cohen, ASA First Vice President Alan
Kemper and S. Korea Ambassador Han Duk-soo met on July 14,
in Washington, DC to discuss the importance of free trade.
(Photo courtesy of ECAT)
American Soybean Association
(ASA) First Vice President AlanKempermet with Carolina
BarcoIsakson, Ambassador from Colombia, and HanDuk-soo, Ambassador from the Republic of Korea,
on the need to ratify Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
between their countries and the U.S.
"I expressed ASA’s appreciation for their business and
thanked the Ambassadors for being valued customers for
U.S. soybeans and soy products," Kemper said. "I also
stressed ASA’s support for passage of the FTAs, and
welcomed their continued support for U.S. agricultural
products."
Hear more from Kemper on his meeting
with the Ambassadors on ASA's
Soy Radio Newsline.
On July
13, the American Soybean Association (ASA) held its
annual Soybean Legislative Forum at the Washington Court
Hotel in Washington, D.C. Monsanto sponsored the
Legislative Forum. ASA President Rob Joslin welcomed about
200 participants that included ASA Board members and
staff, state affiliate Presidents, Board members and
staff,
Senator Mike Johanns
(R-NE) spoke at ASA’s Legislative
Forum about the pending free trade agreements, biodiesel
tax incentive, and climate change legislation, and gave
advice ahead of the farmer-leaders’ Hill visits. (ASA
photo
by Bob Callanan)
representatives of the 2010 Young Leaders sponsored by
Pioneer, growers who were sponsored by specific National
Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) companies, and
members of the media.
Speakers at the 2010
Legislative Forum included: Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN);
Ambassador William Garvelink; U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign
Agricultural Services Jim Miller; Senior Manager of
Industry Affairs at Solae, Kent Holt; Sen. Mike Johanns
(R-NE); USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan; and
Charlie Arnot, Director, Center for Food Integrity,
Monsanto.
Kemper Represents ASA at Price Risk
Program in Mexico
(L to R) DavidFoster, Director / General Manager,
Pinnacle Feeds, LTD., St. Michael, Barbados; Alan
Kemper, ASA First Vice President; LascellesChin,
Chairman / CEO, LASCO Distributors, LTD., Kingston,
Jamaica; RobertThomas, ASA-IM Nutrition
Consultant, Kingston, Jamaica; and BillBrant,
ASA-IM Director Latin America and Caribbean, Guadalajara,
Mexico.
American Soybean Association (ASA) First Vice President
AlanKemper participated in an American Soybean
Association International Marketing (ASA-IM) Price Risk
Management program in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this week.
There were more than 45 participants representing over 13
countries. Kemper spoke on the importance of U.S. soybean
exports and how ASA values its international buying
partners. He also talked about how he produces and markets
soybeans grown on his farm in Lafayette, Indiana, and how
ASA promotes acceptance of biotech-enhanced crops, and
influences farm and trade policy, in Washington, DC and
around the world. See additional photos on
Facebook.
