The American Soybean Association (ASA) this week provided comments to USDA’s request for information on competition in the seed market, “underscoring the need to ensure growers have access to affordable inputs and a healthy market.” In the comments, ASA outlined recommendations regarding the state of the soybean industry, regulatory improvement, intellectual property, and risks of regulatory disruption, but cautioned USDA against jeopardizing long-term market sustainability for short-term gain, considering that seed access and prices are not currently a significant challenge for growers.
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ASA comments: “Agricultural inputs, including fertilizer, fuel, seeds, pesticides, among others, are central to how soybean growers produce. To be economically sustainable, farmers need inputs that are affordable and do not exceed the price at which a grower can sell their crop,” ASA states in the letter. “Affordable, sustainable inputs are vital for U.S. growers helping to feed a growing global population. In this current production environment in which input prices are high and global input and food supplies have dwindled due to the ongoing supply chain crisis and the invasion of Ukraine, access to affordable inputs is more important than ever.
