WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced several steps that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking to address the increase of herbicide resistant weeds in U.S. agricultural systems.

"Weed control in major crops is almost entirely accomplished with herbicides today," said Vilsack. "USDA, working in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency, must continue to identify ways to encourage producers to adopt diverse tactics for weed management in addition to herbicide control. The actions we are taking today are part of this effort."

Today USDA is announcing several of the steps it is taking to help farmers manage their herbicide resistant weed problems in a more holistic and sustainable way:

• USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer financial assistance under its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for herbicide resistant weed control practices that utilize Integrated Pest Management plans and practices.
• Later this year NRCS will be soliciting proposals under the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Program for innovative conservation systems that address herbicide resistant weeds.
• USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will actively promote use of best management practices (BMPs) in design protocols for regulated authorized releases of genetically engineered (GE) crops and will include recommendations for BMPs with the authorization of field trials of HR crops.
• USDA is partnering with the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) and is providing funds to develop education and outreach materials for various stakeholders on managing herbicide-resistant weeds. The Secretary has directed Dr. Sheryl Kunickis, Director of the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy, as the point person leading this effort with the USDA.

The issue of herbicide resistant weeds has become one of increasing importance for agriculture. When herbicides are repeatedly used to control weeds, the weeds that survive herbicide treatment can multiply and spread.

With EPA's announcement today on the registration of new uses for herbicide mixtures containing the herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate (in the Enlist® formulation) in conjunction with new genetically engineered crop varieties, farmers are being offered one more new tool to better manage emerging populations of herbicide-resistant weeds in corn and soybeans crops. In its decision for 2,4-D use on genetically modified corn and soybean, EPA has outlined new requirements for registrants as part of a product stewardship program.

The USDA Office of Pest Management Policy worked with EPA to address the issue of herbicide resistance through appropriate label language that will require registrants to develop a stewardship program for the herbicide, develop training and education on proper use of the product that includes diversifying weed management, investigate and report nonperformance, and develop and implement a remediation plan for suspected herbicide resistant weeds.

EPA intends to require the same stewardship plans for all new applications for product registration on genetically modified crops with the goal being to encourage effective resistance management while maintaining needed flexibility for growers.

USDA recognizes that the problem of herbicide resistant weed control will not be solved solely through the application of new herbicides. USDA has worked with the Weed Science Society of America for a number of years on identifying best management practices for farmers and on addressing impediments to adoption of those practices.

USDA will continue to work to ensure that growers have the diverse tools they need to address the management of herbicide resistant weeds.

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Soy checkoff study compares cost, transit times of soy shipments from U.S., Brazil, Argentina

ST. LOUIS (October 2, 2014) - Some international buyers prefer U.S. soy to that from top competitors Brazil and Argentina because they can count on it reaching them in a timely manner, according to a new soy-checkoff-funded study.

In fact, foreign soy buyers often pay as much attention to the timeliness of a shipment delivery as they do to the price. That's because late shipments can be expensive for buyers, as they incur costs in trying to find replacement crop, slowing down crush facilities and other problems that arise when shipments don't arrive in the time frame that was promised.

"Our industry depends on the reliability of our transportation system to keep us competitive in the global market," says Dwain Ford, soybean farmer from Kinmundy, Illinois, and United Soybean Board (USB) International Opportunities Target Area coordinator. "This study really shows the advantage the roads, rails and rivers give us and how important it is to maintain and improve our infrastructure."

Conducted in partnership with the checkoff-supported Soy Transportation Coalition, the study gathered input from buyers in China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam to get firsthand reports on the timeliness of shipments and the repercussions late shipments have on their businesses. In most of these markets, U.S. shipments were the most predictable, with several participants adding that they prefer to buy from the United States because of this predictability.

Argentina has the advantage when it comes to shipping costs because of its relatively short distances from the growing areas to major ports for export. But U.S. soy rises to the top because of the relatively short amount of time it takes for soybeans to move from the growing areas to export position, which greatly impacts the United States' edge in delivery predictability. Even though U.S. soybeans have the longest distances to travel, the extensive U.S. rail and river infrastructures move these beans quickly, and the port infrastructure allows for timely loading and limited delays. Both Brazil and Argentina have significantly less rail and underdeveloped inland waterway systems, so roads are the main mode used to move products from growing areas to export position.

"It's great to see the infrastructure here in the United States is still doing its job," adds Ford. "But if our competitors continue to update their infrastructure and we don't, we could easily fall behind. It's vital to U.S. soybean farmers and the U.S. soy industry that we protect this advantage."

The 70 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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2014 Farm Bill's marquee specialty crop programs now providing funding

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2014 - TOMORROW, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host a media conference call to announce new funding to help grow Florida's, and the nation's, specialty crop industries. Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts and nursery products. The funding is being provided through the 2014 Farm Bill's marquee specialty crop programs, which substantially increased specialty crop support for fruit and vegetable growers.

The 2014 Farm Bill provided historic support to strengthen rural communities by supporting local and regional markets and improving access to fresh, healthy, and nutritious high quality products for millions of Americans. It is one of relatively few bipartisan pieces of legislation passed during this session of Congress.

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014
3:30 p.m. EDT

WHAT: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host a media conference call to announce new funding to help grow Florida's, and the nation's, specialty crop industries.

How much does growing IP soybeans really cost?

ST. LOUIS (September 30, 2014) - Facing lower soybean cash prices this year, farmers are looking for opportunities to add to their bottom lines. Growing identity-preserved (IP) soybeans is one option for additional profit opportunities, but the costs can seem overwhelming to farmers thinking about getting started.

U.S.-soy-industry-led board QUALISOY developed a calculator that can help farmers determine how much profit they can add by growing IP soybeans, including high oleic varieties.

The calculator, based on a Purdue University study, helps farmers navigate the typical steps required to produce and segregate IP soybeans and gives them an estimate of added profit potential. The United Soybean Board's Value Task Force funded the study.

"The charge of the Value Task Force is to try to find the next big thing that could really create opportunities for soybean farmers, and we feel that there is a lot of opportunity in IP soybeans," says Dan Corcoran, a soybean farmer from Piketon, Ohio, and chair of the Value Task Force. "Whether a farmer has ever grown IP soybeans before or not, this tool will help determine the potential value that is out there."

This calculator, available for use on http://soyinnovation.com/inputs-handling/, also gives a quick look into the limited costs associated with growing IP or high oleic soybeans.

"The soybean calculator is easy to access and has straightforward questions," says Corcoran. "It takes you on a logical path to get a basis for non-IP products and what it takes to deliver a crop. Then it goes into the additional costs and revenue associated with growing IP soybeans.

"This tool helps you make an educated business decision by removing a large amount of guesswork. It gives soybean farmers a good overview of exactly what we need to invest when we choose to grow IP."

Right now, opportunities available for soybean farmers to grow IP include non-GMO, food-grade and high oleic soybeans. However, high oleic soybeans have easier handling procedures compared with other IP soybeans. The calculator takes those factors into consideration when delivering its results.

"With the current state of soybean prices, it is important for soybean farmers to grow a product that has increasing demand," concludes Corcoran. "This concept of growing a product that customers are demanding is beneficial for farmers in general."

The 70 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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