BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) President Lynn Rohrscheib issued the following statement June 11 following an event with President Trump that she and other Illinois Soybean Growers members attended in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
“As Illinois soybean producers work to plant this year’s crop under uncertain market conditions and uncertain weather, we are eager to hear President Trump’s plans and ideas. With a lingering trade war, Illinois Soybean Growers remains engaged with legislators and administration officials who can help our producers by ending the trade war with China and by bringing back long-term market stability. The impacts of the tariff war and the wet spring are being felt by soybean farmers and rural communities across our state.
Illinois farmers want long-term relief from the year-long market uncertainty we have faced. Illinois’ 43,000 soybean producers rely on trade to maintain their livelihoods. We simply want to sell the crop we are raising to customers in the marketplace. That marketplace also includes biodiesel producers. We believe a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) creates a much-needed incentive for biodiesel and brings additional value to soybean producers.”
Illinois soybean farmers are seeing some of the lowest prices for their crop in years. Increasing exports of soybeans and other agricultural products would be a positive way to reduce our trade deficit with China and support farmers’ profitability. As of Monday, June 10, USDA reported that in Illinois only 49 percent of soybeans had been planted compared with the five-year average of 91 percent. In addition, the biodiesel industry supports about 2,000 Illinois jobs, both directly and indirectly. The U.S. biodiesel market grew from less than 400 million gallons in 2010 to more than 2.6 billion gallons in 2017, through the RFS.”
Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) is a membership organization serving more than 43,000 Illinois soybean growers. ISG provides advocacy in Springfield and Washington, D.C., to promote the interests of Illinois soybean farmers and programs that enhance soybean production and demand. Voice for Soy, the online action center supported by ISG, allows growers to easily connect with legislators and regulators to advocate for Illinois agriculture. For more information about ISG, visit the website www.ilsoygrowers.com.
— Illinois Soybean Growers
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