Soybean growers aren’t worried about storage

Oct 22, 2018

Farmers are confident there’s enough storage to handle large harvests

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

American farmers are not concerned about a lack of soybean storage despite slowed trade with the country’s largest customer.

The soybean market is caught in a months-long trade war between China and the U.S. Last week, for example, private exporters cancelled sales of about 180,000 tons of U.S. soybeans destined for China, Reuters reported.

Decreased trade means producers and processors will require more domestic storage for soybeans. Growers are optimistic, however, existing facilities can accommodate the increased loads.

“Bean yields in my area are probably above average,” Tom Griffiths, president of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and soybean producer from Kendalville, Ind., told Farms.com. “But the storage is going to be there for us. It hasn’t been much of a talking point around here.”

Alan Meadows, a producer from Halls, Tenn., and president of the Tennessee Soybean Association, is also confident in the amount of storage available.

“There’s no doubt there will be a lot of beans in storage, but I don’t think there’s going to be a (storage) shortage where we are,” he told Farms.com.

Some growers, however, are taking extra precautions.

Producers in Nebraska have invested in on-farm storage to ensure they’ve got somewhere to put their crop, said Robert Johnston, a grower from Clearwater, Neb., and president of the Nebraska Soybean Association.

“I didn’t purchase a new bin, but I know of about a handful of new bins that have been built,” he told Farms.com.

Commercial grain storage facilities are also investing in increased capacities, he said.

“The local co-op that I use have increased their ground storage,” Johnston said. “We’ve got beans stored there and I know some of my neighbors do as well, so I think there will be enough storage for us this year.”

Producers in other states, however, may find themselves with storage limitations.

Louisiana Congressman Dr. Ralph Abraham wrote a letter to Sonny Perdue on Oct. 2 asking the agriculture department to help soybean farmers who have high yields and no storage options.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.