Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announces a sign-up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) that will be available startingApril 18, to approximately 64,000 potentially eligible farms andranches in 51 watersheds covering more than 23.7 million acres.
The CSP sign-up is open from April 18 to May 16. The announcement brings the number of watersheds enrolled to 331 across the nation, covering 247.7 million acres that have been eligible for the program. Additional information, including eligible watersheds and a CSP self-assessment workbook, is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.
The American Soybean Association announces that Jim, Cathy andJamie Scott of J. A. Scott Farms, Pierceton, IN, are the national winnersof the Conservation Legacy Award. The Scotts are the NortheastRegion winners.
The other regional winners are: Midwest Region — Wayne Corse of Charleston, MO; West Region — Kevin Compton of Hiawatha, KS; and South Region — J. C. Rountree of South Mills, NC.
The Conservation Legacy Program is sponsored by ASA, Monsanto and Corn & Soybean Digest. To read more about these winners, seethe February issue of Corn & Soybean Digest magazine.
At press time, soybean oil prices have plummeted, and Illinois Extension Marketing Specialist Darrel Good is not surprised, believing they have been overvalued — even in the wake of strong demand and declining stocks.
He says soy oil prices will be heavily influenced by the 2008 worldsoybean crop, and the soy oil market will watch forecasts for U.S.soybean acres.
Good says the high price of soybean oil has impacted biodieselproduction. He adds that soybean oil use in biodiesel productionwas 469.4 million pounds in August 2007, but only 318.8 millionpounds in January 2008.
USDA expects 2008 conversion of soybean oil into biodiesel willnot grow from 2007 levels. However, global consumption of soy oil isup, and Good says China will use 14% more soy oil this year than last,29% more than 2006.
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