ASA Appreciates Economic Assistance Provision in Year-End Funding Package

After agriculture's collective call to have economic assistance including disaster aid in any end-of-year spending package proposed by Congress, America's soy farmers are pleased to see it is part of the language released Tuesday evening in the proposed continuing resolution.

Inflation, historically high input prices, falling commodity prices, and a spate of storms have led to tougher-than-normal times for U.S. farmers, including those who grow soy.

Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and soy farmer from Kentucky, said, "We appreciate that congressional leadership heard our fourth-quarter plea and understood the very real consequences of not including economic and disaster aid in their plans. We thank them sincerely and encourage leadership to keep this critical policy provision moving down the field and into the end zone. This is a much-needed win at a time that has been exceptionally hard for many of our country's farmers."

Soybean prices have dropped 40% over the past two years. Compounded by an already insufficient farm safety net, this has made it increasingly difficult for farming operations to remain viable. U.S. farmers provide feed, fuel, food and fiber for our country, rural communities and consumers nationwide, and keeping their livelihoods viable ensures those important products and our economy stay plentiful and healthy.