NCGA's Mission: To Create and
Increase Opportunities for Corn Growers
This is Corn Commentary, the weekly newsletter for state and national
grower leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). For
complete stories and updated NCGA information, visit www.ncga.com or
the NCGA Leader Resource Center, www.insidencga.com.
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Corn Growers Call on Grassroots to ‘Push from the Planter’ April 26 and Phone in for WRDA
- NCGA Reminds Growers of Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Proposal Date
- NCGA Supports Implementation of the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement
- NCGA, U.S. Corn Coalition Pleased by Canadian Final Ruling
- Entry Forms Available For NCGA’s 41st Annual National Corn Yield Contes
- Bush Picks Portman as Budget Director, Nominates Schwab for New USTR
- Corn Plays Major Role in Reducing America’s Dependence on Oil
- Cowan Joins NCGA Staff; Keelin Named Development Manager
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NCGA Reminds Growers of Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Proposal Date
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) reminds growers of the proposal deadline for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, a voluntary program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that helps farmers and ranchers keep land for agricultural use. NRCS state offices must receive proposals by May 11. (More On This Story)
Corn Growers Call on Grassroots to ‘Push from the Planter’ April 26 and Phone in for WRDA
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is asking all corn growers to take a few minutes from their planting and call Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on April 26, urging him to bring the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to the floor immediately. NCGA recently issued a legislative call alert to its grassroots in an effort to get the Senate to act on the bill. (More On This Story) |
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The Water Resources Development Act would authorize money to repair leaky locks such as the one above at Lock No. 15 near Quad Cities, Iowa. The National Corn Growers Association (WRDA) is asking growers to call Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s (R-Tenn.) office and their state’s senators on April 26 to ask them to bring WRDA to the Senate floor for a vote. Growers should call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. |
NCGA Supports Implementation of the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement
Upon implementation of the U.S.–Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the National Corn Growers Association notes corn growers will see an immediate benefit by having market access for 500,000 metric tons of corn with no tariff, giving the United States a significant competitive advantage over Argentina , which has been the primary supplier of corn. (More On This Story)
NCGA, U.S. Corn Coalition Pleased by Canadian Final Ruling
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), as part of the U.S. Corn Coalition, today applauded the final ruling by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) determining Canadian corn producers are not adversely affected by imports of unprocessed U.S. corn. The decision comes in response to allegations that U.S. dumping and subsidizing of grain corn harms Canadian producers. (More On This Story)
Entry Forms Available For NCGA’s 41st Annual National Corn Yield Contest
When National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) members receive entry forms in the coming weeks for the 41st Annual National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC), they will notice two rule changes for the 2006 contest. (More On This Story)
Bush Picks Portman as Budget Director, Nominates Schwab for new USTR
President George W. Bush named U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman the new director of the Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday and nominated deputy USTR Susan Schwab as the new USTR. (More On This Story)
Corn Plays Major Role in Reducing America’s Dependence on Oil
Geopolitical concerns drove crude oil futures to the $70 per barrel mark Monday, once again underscoring the importance of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and increasing domestic energy production. According to the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), U.S. corn will continue to play a major role in reducing America’s oil dependence by serving as a feedstock for ethanol, bioplastics, and a number of other renewable products. (More On This Story)
Cowan Joins NCGA Staff; Keelin Named Development Manager
Kelly Cowan joins the National Corn Growers Association today as manager of membership services. She fills the position vacated by Byron Keelin, who has filled the position for NCGA development manager. (More On This Story)
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AROUND THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
Illinois: The Illinois Legislature is rapidly working its way toward adjournment and has still not taken final action on Senate Bill 2236. The Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) will work diligently on this bill until the final hour because of the economic impact it can have on the state. ICGA continues in negotiations on the bill and while the talks are under way, an effort is ongoing to funnel key ethanol facts or other relevant developments into the legislature on a daily basis. The bill, supported by ICGA, Illinois Soybean Association and Illinois Farm Bureau, will boost ethanol and biodiesel use and production and puts in place several new programs aimed to accelerate research, investment and industry expansion.
Minnesota: A team of top Russian government officials and agricultural business representatives spent last week in Minnesota. They toured across southern Minnesota to see ethanol and distillers dried grains and solubles (DDGS) production first hand, a beef feedlot and Minnesota corn producers at work planting the crop. The Russian team also visited with trade specialists who will help them iron out the details so that Russia can begin importing DDGS--a new feed product for them. Russia currently imports corn gluten meal, the byproduct from wet-mill ethanol operations. Distillers dried grains, a protein-rich feed ration produced from the processed corn mash in dry-grind ethanol mills, has been proved in many studies to be a high-quality component for livestock feed. Among the Russian delegation was Ayrat Khayrullin, a member of the Russian Congress, and the Deputy Chairman of its Agricultural Committee. This was the third trade mission from Russia hosted by Minnesota's corn organizations since 1990.
Michigan: The Michigan Corn Growers Association (MCGA) recently presented John DiMartini of Knight Enterprises with the first-ever Friend of Corn award. The MCGA established the Friend of Corn award to acknowledge and honor individuals who have gone above and beyond to help Michigan’s corn producers. DiMartini was chosen by MCGA because of his continued efforts to increase the availability of ethanol. He is the general manager and senior vice president of Knight Enterprises, a fuel distribution corporation based out of Novi, Mich., and owns several gas stations throughout Michigan and Ohio. Over the past year, DiMartini has worked to increase E85 availability at two of his stations, which have sold more than 100,000 gallons of E85 since they opened last fall. Knight Enterprises hopes to open more stations soon.
Colorado: Colorado Corn's Public Policy Committee has been working hard, trying to garner as much support as possible for Senate Bill 138, which would establish a 10 percent ethanol requirement November through April each year. So far, lobbying efforts are going quite well thanks to the efforts of Tim Hume, Don Rutledge, Steve Scott, Trent Bushner, Doug Melcher and Dave Eckhardt among others. A vote was expected on April 21. |
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KEY ISSUES
