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Saint Louis, Missouri
February 3, 2009
The
American Soybean Association
(ASA) welcomes the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announcement to continue the Asian Soybean Rust Pest
Information Platform for Education and Extension (PIPE). ASA has
been working with USDA and Congress to secure federal funding
for PIPE because the system helps protect the U.S. soybean crop
valued at more than $30 billion and saves soybean producers
millions of dollars annually.
"ASA is pleased that USDA will be providing over $750,000 in
funding for the soybean rust sentinel plot and diagnostic
network in FY09," said ASA Chairman John Hoffman, a soybean
producer from Waterloo, Iowa. "These USDA funds will be
leveraged with approximately $500,000 in federal and state
checkoff investments and available state funding to maintain a
scaled-down soybean rust sentinel plot and diagnostic network."
As a result of ASA’s successful advocacy efforts, PIPE has been
funded with more than $2 million of federal money for each of
the last four years. PIPE is a coordinated framework that has
been highly effective in helping growers make informed decisions
about fungicide application. The system includes a surveillance
and monitoring network, a Web-based information management
system, criteria for deciding when to apply fungicides,
predictive modeling, and outreach. The development of the
web-based tracking and early-warning system has greatly enhanced
the ability of farmers to manage risk and avoid unnecessary
fungicide applications.
"While ASA is pleased that USDA will be providing this funding
to allow for a continuation of the sentinel plot system and
diagnostic network in 2009, ASA believes that an increased
funding amount should be made part of USDA’s regular budget for
FY2010 and subsequent years," Hoffman said. "The threat and
reality of soybean rust is not going to go away, so we need a
long-term funding pipeline for this important program."
ASA strongly supported the President’s budget request last fall
for $2.3 million for soybean rust monitoring and control, and
contacted Congressional appropriations leaders for funding
support. ASA efforts included organization of a coalition of
more than 50 diverse stakeholders that urged Congress to provide
funding for PIPE.
"Approval of these 2009 funds follows ASA efforts to secure
continued USDA funding for the system after Congress failed to
complete and pass an agriculture appropriations bill in the last
Congress," Hoffman said. "For 2010 and beyond, ASA is urging
USDA to increase and make permanent funding for this program."
Soybean rust was first discovered in the U.S. in 2005, and has
spread each year to key soybean producing regions. USDA’s
Economic Research Service has found that rust management due to
PIPE saved farmers an estimated $299 million in 2005. Surveys
conducted by land grant universities estimate a $299 million
savings in 2006 and another $209 million in 2007. PIPE is
administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service (CSREES).
"ASA’s joint efforts with USDA in preparing for and now
monitoring the advancement of soybean rust have been highly
effective," Hoffman said. "ASA commends the Department for its
early recognition of the dangers posed by soybean rust and for
the many agencies that have reached out to growers to work
together in fighting it."
For more information about PIPE, go to www.sbrusa.net to view
the national system of real-time soybean rust monitoring and
forecasting that is in place to help growers with prevention
management decisions.
The American Soybean Association is the policy, domestic
marketing, new uses, research and international marketing
advocate of the U.S. soybean farmer. ASA is a membership
organization representing 26,000 soybean producers. It's mission
is to improve U.S. soybean farmer profitability. |
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