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WORTHINGTON, Ohio – The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) and American Soybean Association (ASA) celebrated the passage of the Agricultural Act of 2014, most commonly called the farm bill, and thanked the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. OSA and ASA are now calling on President Barack Obama to quickly sign the bill into law.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) and Sen. Rob Portman (R) both voted for the bill.

“On behalf of OSA and Ohio’s 24,000 soybean farmers, we thank the Senate for the passage of the 2014 farm bill,” said Jerry Bambauer, OSA president and Auglaize County soybean farmer.  “Soybeans are an important part of Ohio’s economy and the top agricultural export for the state. The farm bill will provide market stability and certainty for Ohio soybean farmers.”

The bill includes a choice between a revenue program that covers both price and yield losses with county and farm level options, and a price support program, which allows the optional purchase of insurance coverage under a Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO). The bill also eliminates Direct Payments while maintaining decoupled farm support programs that will minimize the possibility of planting and production distortions that could trigger new challenges from the World Trade Organization.

In addition to the risk management framework, the bill also secures several other OSA and ASA priorities:  agricultural research programs, including the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and the new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR); export promotion done under the Foreign Market Development (FMD) and Market Access Program (MAP) on which soybeans depend as the nation’s top farm export; and key energy programs, including the Biodiesel Education Program and a strengthened Biobased Markets Program. Additionally, the bill consolidates 23 previous conservation programs into 13, while focusing conservation efforts on working lands.

About Ohio Soybean Association             

The Ohio Soybean Association is governed by a 24-member volunteer farmer board dedicated to education and promotion, as well as to uniting producer interest through support of legislative activities beneficial to the Ohio soybean industry.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Coleman
Ohio Soybean Association
614.476.3100
jcoleman@soyohio.org