USDA’s draft soybean rust import study available for comment
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has released its draft study of the risks of introducing soybean rust into the United States through imports.
The agency wants to receive comments from the industry by no later than April 12. The draft study is available online at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/soybean_rust/sbr_riskevidoc2_23_04.pdf . It evaluates the risks associated with imports of soybean grain, seed and meal.
Various strands of soybean rust have been found in crops in Asia and South America. So far, U.S. and European farmers have been spared from this aggressive pathogen.