Indiana soybean farmers visit Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Indiana soybean farmers and members of the Indiana Soybean Alliance visited Argentina Jan. 21-29.

During the trip they learned about the country’s infrastructure and technology and observed how the current crop is growing.

Argentina is a global competitor with Indiana and the United States in exporting soybeans. Indiana is among the top five states annually in soybean production.

Here are some highlights from the farmers who attended the trip:

“We’ve been visiting some seed breeders, visiting farms and learning how they do things and how it differs from what we do. We’re also learning about their transportation and infrastructure. It’s been very informational.”

Mike Koehne, ISA chair and farmer

Greensburg

“This is my first time in Argentina. It’s been interesting learning about the differences in agriculture and driving through the countryside.”

Denise Scarborough, farmer

LaCrosse

“It’s been a very good opportunity to see these vast acres — hectares and hectares of land that doesn’t end. Most of it is fenced in. They have cattle that they do rotational grazing on. It’s been interesting that the Ag Alumni Seed Association has relationships down here. We’ve met with a couple from Purdue who are developing popcorn varieties.”

Jim Douglas, farmer

Flat Rock

“We’ve seen all kinds of things, from small farms to large farms to research farms. You can see forever down here. There are very large fields. We learned a lot about how they farm with custom planting, custom harvest and custom spraying in many places.”

Joe Stoller, farmer

Bremen

“Argentina has been in the news for the past several months. Being the No. 1 exporter of soy meal and soy oil, it certainly impacts a lot of people. Without a doubt, it’s been dry out here. They have received some rain, some areas more than others. But the crop is late in maturity — both the corn and soybeans. It’s interesting to see that firsthand. They are also 90% no-till and use a lot of cover crops. They import most of the fertilizer into this country. They share a lot of the same concerns as we do as U.S. farmers going into the future.”

Mark Legan, farmer

Coatesville