Issues History - Public Policy

NCGA has a rich history of successfully representing grassroots corn grower interests on trade and domestic farm policy issues that dates back to Walter Goeppinger's visit with President Eisenhower. Goeppinger realized that corn growers needed a unified voice in Washington D.C. Since that personal visit, NCGA has stepped up to lead policy discussion on such diverse topics as farm program legislation, the 1980 grain embargo, the U.S. Sugar Program, ethanol and the environment.

THE 1960s

Walter Goeppinger quickly earned a reputation for championing the causes of corn growers. In 1960, Goeppinger was invited to attend the national Democratic farm plank committee meeting to present ideas for utilizing the surplus of corn. NCGA leaders also quickly realized the importance of involving growers at the grassroots level. NCGA conducted their first farm policy opinion poll of members in 1962 and used the results to support such issues as the feed grain program and market expansion.

The feed grain program was a primary focus of the association throughout the 1960s. In 1965, NCGA asked Congress for a four-year extension of the feed grain section of the current farm bill so it would not have to be revisited every time farm bill discussions began. Letters were written to USDA Secretary Orville Freeman in both 1966 and 1967, stressing how loan rates and program payments should be handled. NCGA also captured widespread attention in 1968, when NCGA urged members to sign up for the 1968 program. Releases were sent to the print media, tapes were made for radio stations and NCGA growers traveled to Washington to share proposals with the Secretary.

THE 1970s

Domestic farm programs remained the core of NCGA policy pursuit during most of the 1970s. But rather than push for issues alone, NCGA began to join forces with groups that had similar agendas. NCGA united with the National Farm Coalition to foster changes in the 1970 farm bill, and worked in 1971 to get the corn loan raised to $1.25 per bushel.

In 1973, NCGA formed a special committee to work for a higher corn loan rate, strict acreage controls, establishment of a strategic grain reserve and even asked for a corn production study that would allow the loan rate to be set at cost of production plus a fair profit. NCGA caught the attention of the media in 1975, when the association recommended all corn farmers cut corn acreage voluntarily to 20 percent below 1974 plantings.

By the middle of the decade, NCGA had branched into new domestic policy areas, primarily with efforts on ethanol. The association sought federal funding for research, including studies for grain alcohol. Trade issues became more prominent by the late 1970s, with NCGA's support of free trade through General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and support of the U.S. Sugar Program, which kept sugar imports from competing with corn for use by the sweetener industry.

THE 1980s

The 1980s began with a bang for corn growers, as President Jimmy Carter announced the Soviet grain embargo. NCGA met with top Washington officials the day after the announcement, and began to communicate with Russian officials to keep the lines of communication open between the two countries. The same year, Mike Hall, M.L. Hall & Associates, was hired to provide full-time Washington representation for NCGA on such issues as the 1981 farm bill and resumption of corn exports to the U.S.S.R. following the embargo. NCGA also worked beyond U.S. borders to resolve the corn gluten feed dispute with the European Community, participate in GATT negotiations and eliminate unfair trade practices which had sparked additional fuel alcohol imports.

NCGA reached a new political level in 1983 after releasing at a press conference the results of a study that had been done on the PIK program (Payment-in-Kind). The study became the basis of the program implemented by Secretary John Block. NCGA also sought and achieved in the 1985 farm bill a two-year target price freeze at $3.03 per bushel designed to stabilize income and make U.S. corn farmers more competitive in the export market.

With the sweet taste of victory still fresh in corn grower minds, NCGA sought continuance of the U.S. Sugar Program because import quotas and sugar price supports protected the corn sweetener market. "A vote for sugar is a vote for corn," was the battle cry of NCGA Quarter Backer Campaign, because 25 cents per bushel of corn was at risk if the sugar program was canceled.

Trade attention shifted in 1986-87 to a countervailing duty petition filed in Canada, which alleged that U.S. corn exports to Canada were subsidized. NCGA filed an appeal, in an effort to maintain Canada as an export outlet for U.S. corn. NCGA achieved another major victory in 1988, when national drought disaster assistance contained all five of NCGA's recommendations for relief. As the decade ended, NCGA was keyed in on 1990 farm bill debate and trade issues, as well as on soliciting members of Congress to join the Corn Caucus.

THE 1990s

Organized efforts on the 1990 Farm Bill paid off for NCGA, a view by the association to focus on reform of farm policy and strive for planting flexibility. The creation of the Alternative Agriculture Research and Commercialization (AARC) center, the first major shift in ag research from production to utilization. NCGA established a grassroots program in 1990, to inform volunteer members and to alert them to contact Congress on specific issues.

During the early 1990s, in addition to farm policy NCGA focused on environmental issues. NCGA worked for grower-friendly legislation in the Clean Water Act, and the sodbuster, swampbuster and conservation compliance programs. The organization pursued an aggressive ethanol policy in the Clean Air Act of 1990 and achieved an oxygenate standard for all reformulated gasoline.

NCGA took a lead role on several issues in the mid-1990s,including 1995 farm bill debate. NCGA developed a task force that sought greater planting flexibility, more conservation and freedom to grow for the world. NCGA also headed the Ag for NAFTA coalition that worked for successful passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and represented corn grower free trade interests during the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations. Both pacts opened new doors for corn exports.

NCGA became more active on transportation issues during the 1990s, and was able to minimize the impact of new energy taxes on farmers and defeat proposed increases in barge fuel taxes. NCGA remains committed to obtaining funding to upgrade our major waterways and to work on rail transportation-related issues.

Perhaps one of Corn Grower’s greatest victories was the 1998 extension of the 5.4 cent-per-gallon ethanol tax incentive through 2007. Corn growers from throughout the United States mailed seed-tags to Capitol Hill, which accompanied by Hill visits and other efforts, resulted in extension of this important incentive.

On the trade front, NCGA has recently supported extension of Fast Track negotiating authority to keep international trade agreement discussions moving forward efficiently and worked with the European Union to obtain acceptance of genetically-enhanced corn. NCGA continues to focus on trade-related matters, whether passage of Fast Track negotiating authority, removal of economic trade sanctions or preparing for the 1999 round of World Trade Agreement negotiations.

Other ongoing efforts include a push for fair and unbiased implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act, which could change the way pesticides are evaluated for health effects.

Additionally, NCGA continues to focus on water quality issues, with emphasis on nutrient management and voluntary participation, as well as Clean Water Act legislation.

Implementation of farm program and policy positions to follow 2002 will be a major focus of NCGA for the next several years. This includes risk management issues which are of great interest to growers.

Last reviewed May 6, 2003