National Corn Growers Association

Letters & Testimony

Official NCGA testimony at congressional and other government-related meetings, comments in response to regulatory proposals, and correspondence to government and other officials.

4/19/12, Farm Bill
NCGA and other farm organizations sent a letter supporting Senate Ag Committee leadership and raising several issues related to commodity and risk management programs. Click here.
3/27/12, Renewable Fuel Standard
NCGA and other biofuels advocates wrote Congressional leaders about the importance of the Renewable Fuel Standard. Click here for the letter.
3/14/12, LightSquared
NCGA and several other agriculture industry groups today sent comments to the Federal Communications Commission on LightSquared’s conditional authorization. Click here.
2/21/12, Clothianidin
NCGA submitted comments to the EPA on Clothianidin, asking the agency to continue the registration of the product, which is used on approximately 60 percent of seed corn in the United States. Click here.
2/13/12, Farm Bill
NCGA joined with more than 80 other ag organizations to send a letter to congressional leaders urging passage of a farm bill in 2012. Click here for the letter.
2/19/12, Swap Dealer Definition
NCGA and the Natural Gas Supply Association submitted a letter to the White House supporting the responsible implementation of CFTC’s Swap Dealer definition. Click here for the letter.
12/5/11, Trans-Pacific Partnership
NCGA and other farm groups submitted letters urging the Obama administration to work quickly and closely with Japan to smooth the way for Japan’s full participation in the TPP. Click here to read the letters to Secretary Vilsack and Ambassador Kirk.
12/1/11, Child Labor Regulations
NCGA and 47 other agricultural organizations, sent comments to the Department of Labor outlining concerns with proposed child labor regulations. Click here for the comments.
11/30/11, EPA Regulations
NCGA was part of an ag coalition writing Senate leadership, urging the Senate to act promptly to advance H.R. 872 to preempt an unneeded expansion of EPA regulatory authority. Click here for the letter.
11/15/11, Farm Bill
NCGA joined with other farm organizations on a letter to Ag Committee leadership reagrding current proposals for the 2012 farm bill. Click here for the letter.
10/19/11, Farm Bill
NCGA signed onto a joint letter to House and Senate ag committee leadership supporting a revenue-based risk management program that would replace several parts of the existing farm safety net. Click here for the letter.
10/3/11, U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
NCGA sent letters to Speaker Boehner and Leaders Reid, Pelosi and McConnell on the vote to implement the U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for Colombia, Panama and Korea in the coming weeks.

Colombia Letter

Panama Letter

Korea Letter
8/1/11, Farm Vehicles
NCGA submitted comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding their proposed guidance on the “Applicability of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to Operators of Certain Farm Vehicles and Off-Road Agricultural Equipment.” Click here to download.
7/29/11, Anti-Ethanol Amendments
National Corn Growers Association signed a letter sent to all members of the House of Representatives this week, urging opposition to amendments that would weaken efforts to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and cost U.S. jobs. Click here to read
7/26/11, Clean Water Act
National Corn Growers Association outlined concerns about EPA guidance regarding the Clean Water Act, including the new proposal could expand EPA’s authority over isolated waters such as ditches and farm ponds. Click here for the letter.
7/22/11, Commodity Options
NCGA and the Natural Gas Supply Association filed joint comments with the Commodity Futures Trading Association regarding commodity options and agricultural swaps, and regarding product definitions (such as for “swap’). Click here to read.
6/14/11, Budget Letter
NCGA sent a letter to the president and Congressional leaders expressing concern about any requirement that cuts be implemented for 2012, effectively reneging on commitments already made to and relied upon by producers and their lenders under the 5-year 2008 farm bill. Click to read
5/31/11, Farm Bill
National Corn Growers Association Board Member and Michigan Corn Growers Association President Clark Gerstacker testified during the first Farm Bill field hearing hosted by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich). Focused on the upcoming reauthorization of the farm bill, the hearing examined commodity programs, energy conservation and rural development.To read his entire testimony, click here.
5/25/11, Panama Free Trade Agreement
On May 25, NCGA First Vice President Garry Niemyer testified before the Senate Finance Committee about the importance of the Panama Free Trade Agreement. U.S. corn producers stand ready to develop and provide corn products to meet the demands of modern global consumption. Click here for the submitted testimony.
5/20/11, Farm Bill
Seventeen agriculture groups, including NCGA, came together and wrote letters to Congressional leadership to express their support for completing the 2012 farm bill prior to Sept. 30, 2012. Letter to House, Letter to Senate
5/20/11, Free Trade Agreements
NCGA CEO Rick Tolman testified before the House Agriculture Committee during a hearing to review pending free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama. The hearing focused on the impact and advantages these agreements would have for the agriculture industry. To read Tolman’s entire testimony as submitted to the committee, click here.
5/11/11, Daily Price Limits
NCGA sent a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission stating the organization’s opposition to a proposed rule change that would increase daily price limits on corn futures and options. A petition filed by the CME Group requests approval to increase the daily cap on corn futures and options trading from $0.30 per bushel to $0.40 per bushel. NCGA believes that this will not aid price discovery and that, ultimately, growers will bear the cost. Click here for the letter.
5/3/11, Pesticide Regulation
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees held a joint hearing to review the Endangered Species Act interagency consultation process when approving pesticides for use in the United States. The Pesticide Policy Coalition, chaired by National Corn Growers Association Director of Public Policy Rod Snyder, submitted written testimony raising concern about inconsistent scientific studies between the three federal agencies charged with overseeing the ESA. Click here.
5/3/11, Dodd-Frank Regulatory Timeline
NCGA and the Natural Gas Supply Association jointly wrote to the House Agriculture Committee prior to the mark-up of (H.R. 1573) which would require the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to revisit the sequence and timing of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd Frank) rulemakings. It is the view of NCGA that extending the timeline gives regulators more time to assess the economic impact and to sequence rules in a more orderly way. Click here.
1/31/11, IRS Form 1099
NCGA submitted letters supporting repeal of the new IRS Form 1099 information return filing requirements. Farms, ranches and related agri-businesses already are overburdened with tax paperwork and reporting requirements. Under existing law, a Form 1099 must be issued to unincorporated service-providers that are paid more than $600 during a tax year. To see the letters, click here and click here.
2/25/11, Nonregulation of Seed Protection Technology
NCGA submitted a comment to the Federal Register on the proposed determination of nonregulated status by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspections Service (APHIS) on Pioneer Hi-Bred International’s Seed Production Technology (SPT) process petition. Click here.
1/24/11, Korea Free Trade Agreement
As part of a broad coalition, NCGA submitted a letter to Congressional leaders applauding the recent agreement between the United States and the Republic of Korea on issues that have delayed approval by Congress of the Korea- U.S. Free Trade Agreement. To read the letter, click here.