A new report from the U-S Food and Drug Administration links consumption of soybean oil to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Iowa Soybean Association president Rolland Schnell says it’s great news for the state’s soybean growers — and for consumers. “Hopefully, it’s going to put to rest some of the naysayers who like to paint soybean oil as a bad food ingredient,” Schnell says. “It’s not and there’s all kinds of research to back up that it is beneficial, looking at it from a health standpoint.”

Schnell says the cooking oil market is important for soybean farmers and the new report will enable manufacturers of soybean oil to tell consumers about the heart-healthy benefits. “It’s very positive and hopefully, the general public will take this report by the FDA to heart and realize its a valuable product for their health,” Schnell says, “and the volume of (sales) will continue to increase.”

Schnell says sometimes soybean oil gets a negative rap, but this move by the F-D-A may change that. “The social media always tries to paint it as a bad thing when it’s not,” he says. “Research will verify over and over that it’s a good thing and to have the government agency come out and support that is real welcome news.”  The F-D-A report recognizes the ability of soybean oil to provide a superior omega-three fatty acid profile while also lowering “bad cholesterol” levels.

(Radio Iowa)

The latest U-S-D-A report estimates the value of Iowa farmland now averages eight-thousand dollars an acre. Farmland values in Iowa were up nearly two percent in the past two years according to the U-S-D-A. The other “corn belt” states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri all failed to see an increase in land values. The U-S-D-A calculation includes the value of homes and farm buildings along with pastures and cropland in its value measurement. The national average price for farmland is about three thousand dollars. That means the value of farm property in Iowa is more than twice that.

The U-S-D-A calculates the average price for an acre of Nebraska farmland has declined by one-point-seven percent from 2015 values. Farmland values are UP nine-and-a-half percent in Wisconsin and UP by about one percent in Minnesota. The other neighboring states of Illinois and Missouri saw a decline of about one-and-a-half percent. In South Dakota, the drop was about three percent.

(Radio Iowa)