Groups suggest donating surplus beans

The leaders of soybean growers groups in Iowa and 11 other states arecalling for federal action on surplus supplies to alleviate low prices.Officials with the American Soybean Association want Uncle Sam to buy abillion dollars in surplus soybeans to feed people in poor countries.Jim Guinn, the A-S-A’s marketing director says he backs the plan for the U-Sto buy the surplus beans from midwestern farmers that would be DONATED toforeign nations like Indonesia, India and Columbia.A-S-A Chairman Mike Yost says the short-term benefit of the proposal is thatU-S farmers and hungry foreigners will be helped. Yost says the long-termadvantages are also lucrative.Kirk Leeds, executive director of the Iowa Soybean Association, says growersin Iowa and 11 other states are going to flood the U-S Ag Secretary’s officewith postcards to show their support for the billion-dollar purchase plan.States joining Iowa in the initiative are: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakotaand Wisconsin.