LOWER U.S. SOYBEAN LOAN IDEA SHARPLY CRITICIZED U.S. soybean lobbyists and congressional aides criticized a proposal from a senior Agriculture Department official that Congress allow the U.S. soybean loan level to be officially lowered to 4.56 dlrs per bushel next year. "I don't know who in Congress would propose that happening. Politically it would be totally unacceptable," an aide to a senior farm-state senator said. USDA undersecretary Daniel Amstutz said this week that Congress should give USDA authority to keep the soybean loan at its current effective rate of 4.56 dlrs per bushel rather than increasing it to its minimum allowed level of 4.77 dlrs. "I'm convinced that Congress will not go along with this," American Soybean Association President Dave Haggard said. Amstutz told reporters following a senate hearing that if the soybean loan rate were 4.56 dlrs, USDA could then consider ways to make U.S. soybeans more competitive. His comments were seen as possibly indicating what the the administration's position is in the debate over what should be done to make soybeans competitive and at the same time protect soybean farmers' income. Using soybean specific certificates to further buydown the loan rate or implementation of a marketing loan have been pointed to as the most effective ways to get soybean prices competitive. USDA secretary Richard Lyng, however, continues to maintain his opposition to a marketing loan, saying such a move would be too costly. "There will be alot of other options that will be considered before Congress looks at that one (the Amstutz proposal," said Bill O'Conner, aide to Rep. Edward Madigan (R-Ill), ranking minority leader of the Agriculture Committee. "Anybody representing large groups of soybean producers would not be very excited about supporting a lower soybean loan," O'Conner said. Congress may very likely look at the soybean loan and decide that they cannot increase it from its current 5.02 dlr basic rate, but that there has to be something mandated to increase soybean's competitiveness, David Graves, aide to Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss) said. Cochran, a staunch supporter of a soybean marketing loan, would support a soybean loan of 5.02 or 4.77 dlrs with a certificate buydown, Graves said.