Second banana

摘要

With South America surging, U.S. farmers are no longer the kings of the world soybean market. Here's how to re-think your marketing strategy. The moment every U.S. soybean farmer knew was coming is here. Unless Mother Nature steps in, this spring, South America will harvest a 3-billion-bushel soybean crop, swamping U.S. production and replacing North America as the king of the soybean world. Ten years ago the United States produced 52 percent of the world's needs; this year the figure is 38 percent.Argentina and Brazil are expected to export a combined 1.124 billion bushels of soybeans during the current marketing year, or 50.5 percent of world trade. Meanwhile, USDA forecasts U.S. exports to fall to 900 million bushels, or 40 percent of world tra