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The American Soybean
Association is "your advocate" in Washington, and is powered by the grassroots
support of 22,000 members and 25 state affiliates.
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Headlines
For Thursday, April 23, 2009
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ASA Wins
Two National NAMA Awards
ASA Recruiters Reminded To Redeem Points Earned In Rewards Program
ADM And Cargill Will Sponsor Growers To Attend ASA Legislative Forum
World Soy Foundation Visits Iowa
Learn More About Biofuels At Earth Day Indiana Celebration
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WASHINGTON UPDATE
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ASA Signs
Letter On Rail Reform Issues
EPA Asks For Stay Of NCC Vs. EPA Spraying Case; Decision Expected Soon
Food Aid Delivery Becomes More Treacherous
Vilsack Returns From Successful G8 Ag Ministerial On Food Security
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INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
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Japan Looks To Tradition, Ritual To Ensure Prosperity Of
Vegetable Oil Industry
Quebec Hog Days Present Opportunities For U.S.
Soy
Fifth Annual China
South-North Feed Technology Exchange Program
Latin American Customers Learn Risk Management Strategies
USSEC, ASA, USB Meet With Turkish Group To Discuss Benefits Of Biotech
Crops
ASA-IM Brings Producers And Customers Together In Taiwan
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CHECKOFF NEWS
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Checkoff
Funds Meal Quality Research
Study Shows Consumers Support Farmers
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This week on the Soy Radio Newsline listen
to comments from ASA Vice President Alan Kemper, a member of the USDA's
Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade, who talks about the
importance of resolving the U.S.
trucking dispute with Mexico
and bringing back the Cross Border Trucking Pilot Program. This report may be heard on SoyGrowers.com.
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AT-A-
GLANCE
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CBOT Futures
04/22/09
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FAS
Worldwide Weekly Sales Report as of 04/16/09
(1000 Metric Tons | Million Bushels or Pounds)
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Settle
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Net Change
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This Week
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Year Ago
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% Change
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SoyBeans
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(09May) 1046.0
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+8.0
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26,925.8
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9893
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24,089.8
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8851
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+118
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SoyMeal
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(09May) 329.8
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+4.5
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4,130.1
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9,086
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4,363.5
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9,600
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-5.3
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SoyOil
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(09May) 36.09
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-0.04
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3459
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759
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7665
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1,686
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-550
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ASA Wins Two National NAMA
Awards At the
National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Conference and Trade Show in
Atlanta, Ga., April 15-17, the American
Soybean Association (ASA) won two first place awards in the National
Best of NAMA competition. The award-winning work was created for ASA by
the marketing communications agency David & Associates, located in Hastings, Neb.
The annual Best of NAMA competition honors the best in agricultural
marketing communications. ASA won first place out of four national
finalists in the category of "Producer Funded Public Relations
Program to Ag Audiences." ASA also won first place from a field of
12 national contenders in the "Single-page Ads—Single"
category. The ASA public relations campaign was aimed at increasing
soybean grower awareness and understanding of ASA while emphasizing the
importance of membership. The single-page ad focused on ASA's
consistent presence in Washington, D.C. as the voice of U.S. soybean farmers and
showed a tractor parked along side
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limousines in front of the Capitol
building. "It is a great honor for ASA to receive two national
awards from NAMA," said ASA Director of Marketing & Planning Jill Wagenblast. "The public
relations and advertising materials created for ASA by David &
Associates were innovative in visual presentation, message and
function—making it a super campaign on all levels." The two
ASA entries qualified for the national competition because they had
previously won first place regional NAMA Awards.
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ASA Recruiters Reminded To Redeem Points Earned
In Rewards Program American
Soybean Association (ASA) recruiters are reminded to go online to redeem
points they have earned in the ASA Recruiter Rewards Program. As part of
the program, points are earned for recruiting members to join ASA and
their state associations, and for participating in various membership
recruiting activities. In order to start redeeming points, ASA recruiters
must have recruited at least three members. When redeeming their points,
recruiters can choose from a variety of men's and women's
clothing, merchandise and $25 or $50 Cabela's Gift Cards. To redeem
Recruiter Reward Points go to www.soygrowers.com/programs/asagear.htm.
To find out more about how to become a recruiter and earn reward points,
contact ASA Manager of Membership and State Relations Rita Hiscocks at 800-688-7692 or
email rhiscocks@soy.org
ADM And Cargill Will Sponsor Growers To Attend
ASA Legislative Forum ADM and Cargill will
be sponsoring soybean growers and company representatives to attend the
American Soybean Association's (ASA) Legislative Forum, July 21-23,
in Washington, D.C. This provides those growers with an opportunity to
see the policy making process up close. It also gives the company
representatives a chance to network with ASA farmer leaders and key
legislators in the soybean industry. Monsanto sponsors the Legislative
Forum and since 2005 companies that belong to the National Oilseed
Processors Association (NOPA) have partnered with ASA to make it possible
for up-and-coming producers to attend this educational event. Growers
will be identified from the states that each NOPA company selects.
Sponsored growers will be chosen by working with the State Soybean
Association to choose a grower(s) who would benefit from this educational
opportunity. "We want to educate as many growers as possible about
the policy process and what ASA represents in Washington D.C," said
ASA President Johnny Dodson.
For more information on the ASA Legislative Forum, contact ASA Corporate
Development Manager Michelle
Siegel at 800-688-7692, ext.
1328 or msiegel@soy.org.
World Soy Foundation Visits Iowa
Director of the American Soybean Association's (ASA) World Initiative for
Soy in Human Health (WISHH) and the World Soy Foundation (WSF), Jim Hershey, was in Iowa this week talking to soy industry
leaders about international efforts. In addition to meeting with Iowa
Soybean Association staff, Hershey met with Harvest Innovations (formerly
Soy Innovations) and Instapro, two companies started by Leroy Hanson, a longtime soy industry
leader. WSF Chairman Roy Bardole
joined Hershey for a meeting with Cargill associates Jim Sutter
and Gregg Nelson to discuss Cargill's support
of the foundation, including an innovative fundraising program called
Bushels Beat Hunger, run in March at the Cargill Sioux City soybean processing
plant. Hershey also met with former ASA President Marlyn Jorgensen and his wife Ann. For more information about the
WSF, visit their recently updated website at www.worldsoyfoundation.org.
Learn More About Biofuels At Earth Day Indiana
Celebration Visitors to
this year's Earth Day Indiana celebration have the chance to
"Live Green & Prosper" as they learn about the benefits of
"going green" with biofuels. The Indiana Soybean Alliance and
Indiana Corn Marketing Council will have their Biofuels Mobile Learning
Center (BMLC) on-site at the Earth Day Indiana event on April 25, which
will take place in downtown Indianapolis.
"The Biofuels
Mobile Learning
Center is a fun and
exciting, interactive, traveling exhibition focused on teaching its
visitors about the many benefits of biodiesel and ethanol as fuel
sources," said Mark Walters, biofuels director for the
state's corn and soybean checkoff organizations. "The learning
center is designed to provide an overview of how ethanol and biodiesel
are manufactured; how these alternative fuels help both the environment
and our rural environment and our rural economies; and how they lessen
our dependence on foreign oil." As of last year, Indiana had five biodiesel plants
– including the world's largest integrated soy biodiesel
plant – with a combined capacity of more than 100 million gallons
of biodiesel and the capability of using approximately 70 million bushels
of soybeans. Each year, thousands of Hoosiers take part in the Earth Day
Indiana celebration, which is one of the national's largest Earth
Day festivals. To learn more about Earth Day Indiana and the BMLC, visit www.indianasoybean.com.
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ASA Signs Letter On Rail
Reform Issues The American Soybean
Association (ASA) has joined other agricultural organizations in sending
a letter to Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee
Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). The letter
identifies several issues that farmers and ASA industry partners believe
should be addressed to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of rail
transportation that is essential to getting agricultural goods to market.
The letter emphasizes the need for reforms of the Surface Transportation
Board, which would result in more timely, consistent and reasonable
adjudication of issues between railroads and customers. In addition, the
letter reinforces the belief that the primary objectives of U.S.
rail transportation policy should be to ensure effective competition and
maintain reasonable rates in the absence of effective competition. This
effort to address rail issues is consistent with ASA's policies to
improve transportation efficiencies, which are vital to the
competitiveness of U.S.
soybean producers. Read the letter to Sen. Rockefeller.
EPA Asks For Stay Of NCC Vs. EPA Spraying Case;
Decision Expected Soon The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declined to appeal the ruling in
National Cotton Council (NCC) vs. EPA that may require farmers to seek
Clean Water Act permits. The ruling held that pesticide spraying is a
point source discharge that requires a permit. Industry officials fear
the court's reasoning could extend permitting requirements to activities
like fertilizer applications that were previously exempted as nonpoint
releases. Instead of asking for a rehearing, the EPA has instead asked
for a two-year stay to allow it time to develop permits. The American
Soybean Association and a coalition of 21 other groups filed an amicus
brief on April 9, 2009, in support of rehearing by the full Sixth Circuit
Court of Appeals. A decision by the Court on the motion for rehearing and
EPA's request for a stay is expected in the next few weeks.
Food Aid Delivery Becomes More Treacherous
In recent weeks, two U.S.
ships carrying soy products bought for U.S.
food aid programs in Africa were threatened by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
As the press reported, the Maersk Alabama was the first U.S. ship that was attacked
by pirates. The result was a standoff in which the U.S. eventually killed three
pirates that were holding the Captain of the ship hostage. On April 15,
it was announced that the Liberty Maritime Corporation also came under
attack, but was able to escape. With the growing violence in the region,
there are new concerns that these attacks will impact delivery of food
aid to Africa. By law, U.S. Food Aid is
required to use U.S.
flagged vessels to deliver food aid commodities. When asked how the
programs could be impacted a spokesperson of the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) stated, "At this time USAID is continuing with
its current form of food aid delivery. USAID's implementing partners
contract directly with vessel owners and companies to deliver P.L. 480
Title II food aid. Vessel owners are in the best possible positions to
determine routes and other business decisions that protect their crew and
assets." In 2008, the U.S. government purchased
$325 million worth of soy/vegetable oil, $122 million worth of soy
fortified and blended products and $10 million worth of soybeans and
soymeal.
Vilsack Returns From Successful G8 Ag
Ministerial On Food Security On April 20,
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack returned from the
first-ever gathering of the G8 Agriculture Ministerial, held in Treviso, Italy. "I am pleased to
report that the G8 Agriculture Ministerial has produced a strong
declaration of support for the critically important task of promoting
food security," said Vilsack. "We took an important step toward
building a consensus around issues affecting access, availability and
utilization of food among vulnerable populations." USDA plays an
integral role in promoting food security through food aid donations,
agricultural research and extension activities, and its support for the
McGovern-Dole International Food For Education Program. The high-level
conference provided Vilsack with an opportunity to engage in a series of
bilateral discussions with senior officials from around the world,
including Japan, the
European Commission, People's Republic of China, Australia,
the Russian Federation,
the United Kingdom, Egypt, Italy
and Mexico.
During the trip, Vilsack also met with senior officials from the Food and
Agriculture Organization, World Food Program, and International Fund for
Agricultural Development. The American Soybean Association supports all U.S.
food aid programs, including McGovern-Dole, and believes that in-kind
food aid remains the most sustainable tool in the food aid toolbox. It is
critical to our ability to maintain strong political support for global
food security efforts.
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Japan Looks To Tradition, Ritual To Ensure Prosperity Of Vegetable
Oil Industry American Soybean
Association International Marketing (ASA-IM) Country Director LaVerne Brabant participated in the
"Hinotosai" Oil God Festival at the Rikyu Hachimangu Shrine
in Yamazaki, held annually since the 9th Century. Tradition says that a
priest there developed a wooden mill that crushed perilla seeds into
oil. The "Egoma," or perilla oil, was used to light the lamps
of Japan's
Imperial Court,
as well as neighboring shrines and temples. However, over time the
crushing of perilla spread to other areas. The Court designated the
priest as Perilla Crushing Master and the shrine as the origin of oil
crushing in Japan.
Each April, Japan's
top oil industry leaders gather for a ceremony here to offer prayers of
prosperity and success for the vegetable oil industry. This year, 90
top executives from 17 oilseed crushers and veg oil refiners, along
with 29 edible oil wholesalers, government and local officials and ASA-IM Japan participated. Brabant
offered a symbolic bowl of oil with a flame on behalf of the U.S.
soy industry. He did so along with 30 others who took part in the
ceremony. Japan
imported 99 million bushels of U.S. soybeans valued at
over $1 billion in 2008. Brabant was
also invited to celebrate the eve of the "Hinotosai" at an
annual oil trade meeting where top oil industry and
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wholesalers executives exchanged greetings,
traded market information and discussed the future. ASA-IM was the only
non-Japanese organization invited to or represented at this important
Japanese oilseed industry event, celebrated for the 1,149th year.
Offering on
behalf of ASA-IM burns beside others during the ceremony. It is believed
that these offerings will help ensure the prosperity of the Japanese
vegetable oil industry throughout the year. (ASA-IM
photo)
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Quebec Hog Days Present Opportunities For U.S.
Soy U.S. Soybean Export Council
Marketing Manager Greg Olwig attended
Quebec Hog Days, a major trade show for the Canadian swine industry, to
build industry alliances in this market. During the trade show, Olwig
discussed opportunities for animal nutritionists to take advantage of
enhanced soybean traits in the Qualisoy pipeline such as improved amino
acid profiles for feed formulations and soybean meal with lower phytate
levels. Specifically, Olwig found opportunities for collaboration with
the Animal Nutritionists Association and swine industry development
centers to explore the possibility of full-fat soybean meal imports and
to aid Canadian swine producers in reducing the environmental impact of
their operations. "Canada
is our second largest soybean meal customer, so joint industry activities
there should excite everyone," said United Soybean Board grower
leader John Wray. "Four
million Canadian weaner pigs come to the States to get farmed out every
year, making Canada
a great partner in pig production." Canada
imported 1.4 million tons of U.S.
soybean meal and 16.7 million bushels of U.S. soybeans in 2008.
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Fifth Annual China
South-North Feed Technology Exchange Program American
Soybean Association International Marketing (ASA-IM) China consultants Jack Cheng and Frank Xu led the fifth annual China
South-North feed technology exchange program. Seventy-five technicians
from Northern China's Liaoning, Jilin and
Helongjiang provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous District
participated. Team members visited Guangxi Twin Pig Feed Group, which
produced 1.5 million metric tons of feeds last year. This group used
only soybean meal and corn as protein and energy sources. The team also
visited with several other large local feed mills. Twenty feed millers
from the Beihai area joined their 75 northern counterparts for seminars
following the group visits Seminars focused on enhancing current
practices through improved storage, nutrition and
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production practices. Participants learned about new feed
manufacturing technology and equipment and feed mill management
techniques. The first exchange activity of this nature occurred in 2005
with participants learning production improvements and new marketing
concepts. Many feed mill staff implemented these concepts in their own
feed mills after training leading to increased use of U.S. soybeans.
Team members exchange their views
on feed mill production and feed quality control with a visit to
Guangxi Yangxiang Feed Group. (ASA-IM
photo)
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Latin American Customers Learn Risk Management
Strategies American Soybean Association
International Marketing Latin America Consultants Gerardo Luna and Pedro Pablo Lora conducted a pricing and
risk management activity for key customers, buyers and importers of
soybean meal from various companies. Luna and Lora covered topics such as
market indicators, reports, basis, prices, freights, grading and pricing
practices, including hedging with futures and options. All lectures and
exercises will help participants better understand risk management
concepts and tools. Discussions included specific strategies based on
each customer's experience and knowledge of the markets to help
them improve their operations by supporting their pricing experience and
encourage imports of U.S.
soybean meal.
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USSEC, ASA, USB Meet With
Turkish Group To Discuss Benefits Of Biotech Crops
U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) Technical Issues Director Kim Nill, Director of Global
Marketing & Industry Relations Paul
Burke and CEO Miguel
Escobar, along with consultant David Green, American Soybean Association (ASA) CEO Steve Censky and some staff members
from the United Soybean Board (USB) Biotech Initiative, hosted a delegation
of eight Turkish Parliamentarians to dinner the evening of April 16.
The group was in St. Louis on a Cochran
trip because an onerous "GMO law" has been drafted in Turkey's Parliament, which could
substantially discriminate against biotech-engineered commodity imports
from the U.S.
but also from other biotech commodity-exporting countries if it were
enacted. Thus, the U.S. Agricultural Counselor in Turkey sent this group (equivalent to
the U.S. Senate's Agriculture Committee) to the U.S. to learn how such an onerous
"GMO law" would harm Turkey's livestock
production sector, and about the health and environmental benefits of
biotechnology-derived crops.
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Staff from USSEC, ASA and USB's Biotech Initiative met with a
group of Turkish Parliamentarians last week to discuss the health and
environmental benefits of biotechnology-derived crops. (USSEC
photo)
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ASA-IM
Brings Producers And Customers Together In Taiwan
American Soybean Association International Marketing
(ASA-IM) Taiwan
arranged for U.S.
soybean farmer leaders from Iowa to meet
with the Southern Soybean Procurement Association (BSPA) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Led by Iowa Secretary
of Agriculture Bill Northey,
a delegation of Iowa Soybean Association members visited Taiwan to meet with soy importers and
explore opportunities to increase the market for Iowa commodity and food grade
soybeans. Representing over 60 percent of Taiwan's
crushing capacity, the members of BSPA purchase 27 million bushels of
soybeans annually including over 21 million bushels from the U.S.
in 2008. The U.S.
producers educated the customers on sustainable soybean production
practices and ways to ensure quality imports in 2009. The Iowa producers
gained an understanding of their customers demand for quality soybeans
and insight into the Taiwanese market.
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Checkoff News
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Information contained in the
Checkoff News section of ASA Leader Letter is provided by the United
Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff.
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Checkoff Funds Meal Quality
Research
The soybean checkoff is leading the way to
help provide animal agriculture customers with access to the highest
quality protein for use in feed rations. Utilizing 98 percent of U.S.
soybean meal, the animal agriculture industry represents soybean
farmers' number one customer. To maintain and grow this important
market, the checkoff funds research and education efforts to support
animal agriculture producers. Recently, the checkoff conducted research
to examine how the growing demand for soy oil impacts soybean meal.
Historically, soybean meal prices have driven the value of soybeans,
but the value of the meal relative to the oil has declined by 20
percent over the past 25 years. Protein makes up the larger part of the
soybean and is processed into soybean meal, valued less per pound than
oil. This price difference has led some in the U.S. soybean industry to
consider developing new soybean varieties that produce higher levels of
oil. The quality of soybean meal can be enhanced or degraded through
processing, which in turn affects the value of the meal and the bean.
The checkoff recently conducted exploratory research to better
understand how soybean processing impacts meal quality. Researchers
surveyed 12 crushers and 15 mixers/compounders about meal factors
affecting soybean meal quality. Because the amino acid profile is a key
aspect considered by nutritionists in feed formulation, this study also
looked at how processing affects amino acids. Soybean checkoff
farmer-leaders will utilize the survey results to maintain and increase
soybean meal utilization in feed rations while improving relationships
with the animal agriculture industry.
Study Shows Consumers Support
Farmers
A recent independent study conducted with
checkoff funding shows the majority of eligible voters continue to
support U.S.
farmers. The United Soybean Board commissioned the study as a follow-up
to a similar study conducted last year when consumers expressed concern
about food price inflation. According to the survey, 95 percent of
respondents support farmers. Of those in support of agriculture, 34
percent of respondents say their perception of farmers has improved
since last year. The study analyzes consumer perceptions of biodiesel,
biobased products and animal agriculture. In particular, the general
public sees great benefit in how soy biodiesel can improve our
nation's energy security. After hearing how soy biodiesel helps
reduce national dependency on foreign oil, 42 percent of survey
respondents felt more favorable toward biodiesel. Nearly one-third of
respondents say that helping to reduce dependence on foreign oil is
also an important benefit of biobased products. The survey also looks
at the public impressions of modern farming methods and the
environmental impact of agriculture. Results of the study show that
consumers believe a farmer's primary responsibilities include
growing crops and raising livestock for food and ensuring food safety.
Most respondents say that farmers are not responsible for rising food
prices. Checkoff farmer-leaders utilize the results of this study while
making investments to drive domestic marketing, biobased products,
animal agriculture and sustainability programs.
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ASA, 12125
Woodcrest Executive Dr., Ste. 100, St. Louis,
MO 63141-5009 Phone: 800/688-7692
President Johnny
Dodson 731/286-2268 - First Vice President Rob Joslin 937/492-8440
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