USDA will not pursue changes to U.S. corn, soybean grade standards

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced Sept. 25 it will not pursue changes to the U.S. standards for corn and soybeans under the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). AMS cited comments from stakeholders, including a joint statement on the soybean standards authored by NGFA and submitted by NGFA, North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA), U.S. Soybean Export Council, American Soybean Association and National Oilseed Processors Association, in its decision.

 

As reported in previous NGFA Newsletters, the NGFA and other key national soy organizations in November 2018 urged AMS to suspend further rulemaking on potential changes to the official U.S. grain standards for soybeans. The letter cited “the atypical current soybean market environment, which is characterized by dramatically disrupted trade flows; anticipated heavy carryover stocks of U.S. soybeans, low futures prices, depressed U.S. soybean basis values for growers, weather-induced damage in some geographic areas” and ongoing research and information gathering as reasons for AMS not to pursue changes to the U.S. official soybean standards.