May 26
Celebrations were in order at the $732 million Lock and Dam #25 expansion May 18 groundbreaking ceremony at the Winfield, MO, site. The funding for the project is part of the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), which will include construction of a new 1,200-foot lock chamber adjacent to the existing one. The lock will …
May 19
On Tuesday, May 23, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will consider over 15 individual pieces of legislation related to supply chain issues. Several provisions within Rep. Dusty Johnson’s (R-SD) SHIP IT Act—legislation that ASA endorsed—will be under consideration. Bills include: Specifically looking at the weight exemption pilot program, increasing weight limits remains a top …
Apr 07
This week, ASA submitted comments to EPA on a draft Endangered Species draft biological evaluation for the insecticidal active ingredient cyantraniliprole. While the active ingredient has been registered for agricultural uses since 2014, both foliar and seed treatment uses in soybeans are relatively new and have only been available since late 2018. In November 2022, …
Mar 24
Yesterday, the Biden-Harris administration announced new goals and priorities to advance American biotechnology and biomanufacturing. This follows President Biden’s September 2022 executive order to advance a national biotechnology and biomanufacturing initiative. The EO contained many provisions important to American soybean farmers, including actions that will support improved markets for biobased products, create greater access to …
Mar 08
As expected by the grain trade, USDA on Wednesday lowered corn export demand 75 million bushels (mb) and also bumped up ending stocks for the crop by 75 mb as well. USDA trimmed soybean ending stocks to 210 mb, 15 mb from last month’s estimate. USDA lowered its crush estimate by 10 mb but raised …
Mar 06
The soy checkoff, American Lung Association and U.S. Department of Agriculture recognize city fleet leaders ahead of National Biobased Products Day on March 8. ST. LOUIS (March 3, 2023) — U.S. soybeans support cleaner environments and climate change initiatives in some of the nation’s most populous cities. The Biobased Academy® is one partnership that goes …
Mar 02
Farming technologies have come a long way in the last two centuries. Modern agriculture has witnessed a technology boom that farmers a century ago would scarcely recognize. Technological advancements allow today’s farmers to work much more efficiently than those in the past. Soil sensors gauge soil moisture levels and send alerts when irrigation is needed. …
Feb 17
Nothing quite says “love is in the air” like 18 pages of discussion on reducing pesticide spray drift exposures for non-target species. That was the theme of comments ASA submitted Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, to an open docket on EPA’s Endangered Species Act Work Plan Update. The Work Plan Update proposes developing general ecological restrictions under …
Feb 03
ASA and more than 60 members of the Crop Insurance Coalition are urging Congress and the administration to oppose harmful cuts to the federal crop insurance program during the upcoming fiscal year 2024 budget and appropriations processes. The federal crop insurance program is administered through USDA’s Risk Management Agency. Federal crop insurance is structured so …
Jan 13
ASA, along with others in the biofuels industry, weighed in this week on EPA’s draft “set” rule, which sets annual biofuel blending targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard, including proposed Renewable Volume Obligations for 2023, 2024, and 2025. EPA released its draft in early December, drawing surprise and concern from ASA and others. In a …
