2005 Year in Review

Soybean Weekly Update

- Soybean Rust Confirmed in Southwest Georgia - Seminole County, Georgia is the first county outside of Florida to report Asian soybean rust this spring. The USDA Public Soybean Rust web site announced the discovery and confirmation last week. This is also the first instance of soybean rust being reported on soybean plants. The first confirmations of soybean rust in 2005 were reported in Florida on kudzu plants – a common host for the disease. USDA continues scouting throughout the southeastern United States, concentrating on kudzu and volunteer soybean plants. Illinois farmers are encouraged to watch for volunteer soybeans and scout for the disease early. Details on how to scout for the soybean rust can be found on the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s web site at: Dept of Ag

- Honda Car Parts In – Soybeans Back - The Honda Motor Company at its Marysville, Ohio plant takes advantage of empty containers to send soybeans back to Japan. The company returns containers to Japan filled with soybeans that arrived with instrument dials, transmission gears and other car parts. Honda began shipping soybeans in 1986 as a way to reuse cargo containers that were returning to Japan empty. Between 250 and 280 Ohio and Michigan farmers grow soybeans for Honda on 32,000 acres. The region’s soybeans produce higher protein levels – a trait important to Japanese customers. Growers are paid as much as $1.10 more per bushel. A nearby processing plant conditions the soybeans then loads them into 66-pound bags for placement in the containers. Other Asian countries are beginning to use containers rather than bulk vessels for receiving raw materials from the U.S. and other countries as a means of saving shipping costs.

- Fortified Soy Products Recommended as Options for WIC Food Packages - A new report by The Institute of Medicine and written by the Committee to Review the WIC Food Packages of the Food and Nutrition Board recommends that whole soybeans and calcium-fortified tofu and soymilk be included with WIC packages for women, infants and children. By adding calcium- and vitamin D-fortified soy beverages and calcium-set tofu as alternatives to milk in the revised WIC food package for women, the Committee addressed the low calcium intakes of women, despite the large quantities of milk in current food packages. Both women and children will be able to select dried or canned whole soybeans as a meat alternative in the WIC food packages. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children – better known as the WIC Program – is part of the USDA and serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants and children up to age five.

- Brazil’s Soy Crop Again Forecasted to Drop - German oilseeds newsletter, Oil World, has once again cut its forecast of this season’s Brazil soybean crop. The newsletter is now forecasting a crop of about 50 million tons, down from their earlier estimate of 52 million tons. The new estimate is about 13 million tons down from initial forecasts. The drop is being attributed to bad weather – early drought and later rainfall totals -- as well as Asian soybean rust damage. Last year Brazil harvested 49.7 million tons. Argentina’s crop prospects were better. Oil World continues to forecast a crop of 37.5 million tons against a revised 32.1 million tons from last year.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
May 10, 2005