The issue at the top of the list for the farmer leaders of the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is trade.
“In the last marketing year, over 60% of the soybeans in the U.S. were exported, compared to 55% just a year ago,” said ASA president Alan Kemper of Indiana during a press conference on Thursday. That represented the equivalent of 1.9 billion bushels of soybeans, valued at over $21 billion, setting a record for the fourth straight year. “China again was our top customer for U.S. soybeans, importing over 25% of all soybeans grown,” he added.
“Given the importance of exports and market development to the U.S. soybean industry, ASA is urging the administration and Congress to maintain full authorized funding for USDA’s export programs,” he said. In addition, ASA is calling for the approval of pending free trade agreements with Columbia, Panama and South Korea.
Also at the ASA press conference, chairman Rob Joslin of Ohio talked about the organization’s Farm Bill objectives and first VP Steve Wellman of Nebraska discussed an EU proposal that would disallow the use of biodiesel produced from U.S. soybeans.
Listen to or download the opening statements of the ASA press conference here: Commodity Classic ASA Press Conference
Approval of the pending FTAs was also one of the main issues NCGA president Bart Schott’s discussed during the corn growers press conference. “We were encouraged by President Obama’s mention of them in his state of the union address and we hope this means movement,” said Schott. “Frankly, we need quick action on these three agreements which have been languishing in Washington for years.”
Other important issues for NCGA are updating locks and dams on inland waterways for grain transportation and the review of atrazine by EPA.
Listen to or download Bart Schott’s opening statement here: Commodity Classic NCGA president
2011 Commodity Classic Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the 2011 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: 
and 
New Holland provide one lucky Commodity Classic registrant a big prize again this year. All growers who completed the demographic information on their registration forms were automatically entered. The prize this year was a 
New AgWired sponsor 
The Commodity Classic trade show is now in session right after a ribbon cutting. I was a little slow on the trigger but there was a ribbon up there.
In the United States, Xemium will be a brand of fungicides, sold under the trade names Merivon™ fungicide, Priaxor™ fungicide and Systiva™ fungicide.
“Our history and experience with carboxamides led us to the discovery of Xemium, which will be a strong addition to our existing global fungicide portfolio,” said Dr. Ulf Groeger, BASF Global Project Leader for Xemium. “The unique mobility in the plant ensures a long-lasting preventative and curative effect to protect the crop from damaging fungal pathogens.”
Just to give you a contrasting look at Tampa, here’s one from last night of the convention center. I call it picture perfect and hope it stays that way!
Let me introduce you to 
We’ll have lots more details on Xemium, but here’s the bottom line. According to the research, Xemium has high intrinsic activity, long-lasting residual control, consistent distribution in the plant for preventative and curative effects, and broad spectrum control. Like Kixor herbicide, Xemium is a technology that will be used in a number of new fungicide products for a variety of different crops. BASF is hoping for approval by early 2012.