USDA ANNOUNCES IMPACT OF SOYBEAN RUST OF PLANTING
DECISIONS FOR THE 2005 SEASON
Columbia, S.C., March 31, 2005: USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, released today, confirmed that Asian soybean rust has not greatly impacted farmers decisions to plant the 2005 soybean crop. To measure farmer awareness of Asian soybean rust and how its discovery has affected their planting decisions for the 2005 crop, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) included several questions on Asian soybean rust in the March Agricultural Survey. Each year NASS conducts the March Agricultural Survey in every producing State. Randomly selected farmers across the U.S. are asked what they intend to plant during the upcoming growing season for a number of crops, including soybeans.
Results of the March Agricultural Survey, published in the USDA’s Prospective Plantings report :
Awareness of Asian soybean rust is high among soybean farmers; 89 percent of soybean
farm operators in the 31 soybean-producing States are aware of Asian soybean rust (82
percent in S.C.) - they have seen, read, or heard information about the disease.
Asian soybean rust has NOT greatly impacted farmers decisions to plant the crop; only 11
percent of soybean producers reported that the disease was a decision making factor in their
soybean planting intentions.
Of the 11 percent reporting that the disease was a factor in their soybean planting intentions:
49 percent decreased their intended soybean acreage; 63 percent in the Southeast
only 9 percent increased their intentions; 4 percent in the Southeast the remaining
42 percent had not changed their intentions as of March 1; 33 percent in the Southeast
For additional information call: Robert A. Graham, State Director
Steve Pavlasek, Deputy Director
Office telephone (803) 765-5333