ASA’s Voting Delegates just completed an annual policy resolution session that will guide ASA’s policy efforts on behalf of our members and all U.S. soybean growers in the year ahead. Delegates provided guidance to ASA in the areas of tariffs and trade, domestic policy, transportation infrastructure, conservation, environment, research, and bio-based products. High commodity prices during the winter months continue to be supported by strong global demand for agricultural products. To ensure the future demand and market expansion for U.S. soy, meat and poultry exports, ASA continues to work for swift passage of the pending U.S. trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama. Below are some of the other important developments since ASA’s December Board of Directors meeting. –Stephen Censky, March 2011

ASA Celebrates Passage of Retroactive Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension On Dec. 17, ASA celebrated final passage of legislation that includes a retroactive extension of the biodiesel tax incentive and estate tax provisions. The House passed H.R. 4853 by a vote of 277-148. Retroactive extension of the biodiesel tax credit through Dec. 31, 2011, represents a significant legislative achievement on a key ASA priority. The biodiesel tax credit has a direct impact on jobs and is critical to supporting the biodiesel industry, a major market for U.S. soybean oil and a key factor in supporting domestic soybean prices in recent years. It’s been a long process and ASA and state affiliates worked tirelessly since the tax credit’s expiration to get it reinstated. ASA is now working Congressional leaders to extend the biodiesel tax credit beyond 2011.

ASA Applauds Passage of Estate Tax Provisions In addition to reinstating the biodiesel tax incentive, H.R. 4853 also included ASA-supported provisions raising the exclusion level to $5 million per spouse and lowering the tax rate on estates exceeding the exclusion to 35 percent. Passage of this legislation will strengthen the business climate for farm and ranch families, and help to ensure that agricultural businesses can be passed to future generations. Without the new estate tax provisions, the exclusion amount would have gone to $1 million with a tax rate of 55 percent on Jan. 1. With farmland in many regions selling for $5,000 per acre or more, it takes only 200 acres of land to reach the exclusion value of $1 million, which was inadequate to account for the value of machinery, livestock, and buildings necessary to a capital-intensive farming operation.

USDA Rolls Out ASA-Supported Biobased Product Label USDA announced a voluntary biobased product labeling program that will help consumers identify biobased products made from renewable resources, and will promote the increased sale and use of these products, including many soy-based products, in the commercial market. ASA worked with Congress and other farm organizations to create the federal biobased products preferred procurement program (BioPreferred program) as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, and ASA then worked to update and expand the biobased program in the 2008 Farm Bill, including the requirement that USDA establish the voluntary labeling program. The purpose of the labeling initiative is to more clearly identify biobased products for all buyers, and to promote the increased sale and use of biobased products in the commercial market and for consumers.

House Passes ASA-Supported Amendments to Continuing Resolution During the U.S. House of Representatives consideration of H.R. 1, the proposed FY2011 Appropriations Continuing Resolution (CR), two amendments of importance to the American Soybean Association (ASA) were adopted. ASA issued an Action Alert in support of amendments to address dust regulations and navigation on the Missouri River. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) offered an amendment to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from using any funding to revise the current dust standard (formally known as the PM10 NAAQS). The Noem amendment passed by a vote of 255-168. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) offered an amendment to prohibit funds from being used for the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study (MRAPS). The Luetkemeyer amendment passed by a vote of 245-176.

ASA Sends Letter to President Obama in Support of MAP and FMD In a letter sent to President Barack Obama, the American Soybean Association (ASA) and other commodity groups urged the President to maintain full authorized funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s export programs, including the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program as the Administration develops the FY-12 budget. MAP needs to be funded at no less than $200 million for FY-12, as authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. MAP has been funded annually at this level since FY-06. FMD should be funded at the full authorized level of $34.5 million, also as provided in the Farm Bill. Today over 1 million Americans have jobs that depend on agricultural exports.

WISHH Moves Afghanistan Projects Forward In late December, representatives from ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health program and USDA participated in the final preparations of a shipment of soy flour to Afghanistan. More than 3,000 fifty-pound bags of soy flour were shipped from the Port of Virginia to deliver the benefits of high-protein soy to 5,000 women and their families in Afghanistan. ASA has also signed an agreement for the construction and operation of a small soybean processing plant in Kabul, and has hired a Country Director for Afghanistan. These activities are part of a three-year, $26 million cooperative agreement to fight malnutrition and help rebuild Afghanistan’s food industry.

Smooth Sailing at Sixteenth Annual Commodity Classic With a record total number of registrations at 4,826 (up more than 6 percent over the previous record set in Nashville in 2008), and a record number of 1,601 growers (up more than 5 percent over the previous record set in Las Vegas in 2004), the 2011 Commodity Classic at the Tampa Convention Center, March 3-5, Tampa, Fla., was huge success. The number of first timers this year was 626, which is the largest increase in first timers since 2004 in Las Vegas with 450. The trade show featured 871 booths representing 222 companies. Media registrations were 125. Average total acres for this year were 2,326; soybean average acres were 912; and corn average acres were 1,081. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) both spoke at the General Session on Friday. A record number of 450 people registered for this year’s ASA Soy Social and a record amount of $96,543 was raised at the event. The proceeds are used in ASA’s political action committee, SoyPAC, to support Senators and Congressman who champion soybean farmer priorities. Commodity Classic 2012 will be March 1-3, in Nashville.