Last week was really busy attending back-to-back events - Bayer Crop Science's Ag Issues Forum and Commodity Classic in Nashville, Tennesse, USA. Great information came out of both; take a look at last week's Headline News to learn more.

I'm going to dive right into some insights from Commodity Classic, which if you are unfamiliar, is the annual meeting for the US corn, soy, wheat and sorghum associations.

Of note, this year's Commodity Classic attendance shattered last year's record by more than 1,000, hitting just over 6,000 attendees. That alone tells a story.

When asked what farmers were saying at the show, a consistent response was that growers are definitely optimistic, but the unrest in the world is making farmers more cautiously optimistic than last year. There's also a feeling that commodity demand is growing due to increased populations and incomes, but American farmers know they aren't the only game in town, with South America coming on strong especially in the soy market.

One consistent area of concern was the need for improved and, in many instances, creation of better infrastructure. Roads, railways and ports need to be updated and/or built to handle the growing export market. If the US doesn't take action, it's going to miss out on this opportunity.

US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to a standing-room-only audience to share his ideas on what should be included in the US Farm Bill. There were no big surprises - crop insurance, commitment to export markets, bio-based opportunities, CRP programs, R&D and farm loans.

Secretary Vilsack was clear in his message that delaying the Farm Bill would not benefit anyone and that farmers should demand action from Congress sooner rather than later. He garnered applause throughout the speech and even a shouted "Amen" when he talked about the need to help the next generation of farmers get a start in agriculture.

To read my article covering his full speech, click here.

Per last week's newsletter, I did follow-up with the Pioneer team about where their Optimum AQUAmax drought-tolerant hybrids will be launched from a global perspective in 2012.

Pioneer representatives said they have strong confidence they will launch in European markets in 2012. They have also seen strong performance in other global markets, and while not in a position to announce country launch details yet, they are confident that in 2013 their Optimum AQUAmax footprint on a global level will expand considerably.

Have a great week!