The American Soybean Association recently asked President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for their views on issues critical to soybean farmers — specifically, the farm bill and crop insurance, estate tax, biodiesel, biotechnology, trade, research, regulations, and transportation and infrastructure. 

Click here to read their complete responses.

Here are a few outtakes:

On the farm bill and crop insurance:

Obama: “Instead of making soybean farmers pay more for crop insurance, as House Republicans have proposed, we will do it by cutting subsidies to crop insurance companies and better targeting conservation program funding.”

Romney: “On the broader question of farm programs, we must be cognizant that our agricultural producers are competing with other nations around the world. Other nations subside their farmers, so we must be careful not to unilaterally change our policies in a way that would disadvantage agriculture here in our country.”

On regulations:

Obama: “Now there is a lot of misinformation out there about changes (in) environmental standards. Let me be clear that all existing regulatory exemptions for agricultural discharges and waters are going to stay in place in the future. I know that farmers are ultimately the best stewards of our lands and I am committed to working together to find innovative solutions that ensure farmers are competitive in the global market.”

Romney: “Reversing the massive overregulation that President Obama has pursued will take time, but rest assured that beginning on day one of the Romney Admnistration we will initiate a review of all Obama-era regulations that have burdened farmers and ranchers while weakening job creation and the rural economy.”