Soybean farmers recently expressed their concerns to the American Soybean Association (ASA) about the cost of production, and in response the ASA turned to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research.
“With commodity prices down by an average of 40 percent since 2013 and land rents remaining relatively high, farmers are looking to productivity gains through agricultural research and technological innovation as ways to reduce per-unit costs,” ASA President Richard Wilkins said during his House testimony on April 27. “And we know that, if the U.S. is going to continue to provide food, feed, fiber and fuel to a world population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, it must be done on the same or less land and in a sustainable way. Agricultural research and technology have been and will continue to provide the tools for achieving this goal.”
Wilkins also reminded the committee of its commitment to research through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, which is ASA’s top priority for the upcoming fiscal year. Research is important because the results directly affect production costs that are solely on the shoulders of the American soybean farmer.
ASA also worries that the Environmental Protection Agency is intentionally delaying decisions about products that are vital to farmers.
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