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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:

NCGA’s Glass Presents Bio-based Chemicals Paper at Biotechnology Conference
Cloar Believes Membership is Key to NCGA
NCGA Encourages Senate to Help Decrease Cost of Natural Gas, Pass Needed Legislation
NCGA Seeks Increase in Aflatoxin research Funding
NCGA Applauds Introduction of Nussle Legislation
NCGA, River Supporters Push for Passage of Water Resources Development Act
Alternative Tillage Systems Can Lower Fuel Costs, NCGA Notes
WTO Misses April 30 Modalities Deadline, Now Aims for June Agreement, NCGA Notes
NCGA Corn, Ethanol Marketing Wins Two Agrimarketing Awards

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NCGA’s Glass Presents Bio-based Chemicals Paper at Biotechnology Conference
NCGA Vice President of Research and Development Dr. Richard Glass presented “Biobased Chemicals from Ethanol—The Ethanol Platform” at the Department of Energy-sponsored Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals conference in Nashville, Tenn., this week.(More On This Story)

Cloar Believes Membership is Key to NCGA
If elected as a member of the NCGA’s Corn Board, John Cloar hopes to work through the upcoming farm bill, expand the new uses for corn, increase membership levels and push members to become more involved in NCGA. (More On This Story)

NCGA Encourages Senate to Help Decrease Cost of Natural Gas, Pass Needed Legislation
The need for more affordable natural gas led NCGA Corn Board member Garry Niemeyer to Washington, D.C., this week, stumping for passage of legislation that will increase the supply of natural gas. (More On This Story)

NCGA Seeks Increase in Aflatoxin Research Funding
Scott Averhoff, chairman of the NCGA Mycotoxin Task Force, was in Washington, D.C., this week in anticipation of the FY2007 Agricultural Appropriations markup and to meet with members of the House Appropriations Committee to seek an increase in aflatoxin research dollars.(More On This Story)

Ken McCauley, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) first vice president (left) and Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) (right) spoke to attendees at the “Pass WRDA Now” press event sponsored by NCGA on Tuesday. McCauley was joined by Sens. Bond, Jim Talent (R-Mo.), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the Midwest River Area Coalition 2000 in calling on Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to bring the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to the floor immediately.

NCGA Applauds Introduction of Nussle Legislation
The NCGA applauds Rep. Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) for introducing the Independence from Oil with Agriculture Act (IOWA). Several more energy-related bills are expected to be introduced in the coming days and weeks. (More On This Story)

NCGA, River Supporters Push for Passage of Water Resources Development Act
Touting the critical need for passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2005 (WRDA), the NCGA, the Midwest Area River Coalition 2000, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners (UBC), the American Land Conservancy and key senators from states along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers came together today in the U.S. Capitol to urge Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to schedule a vote for the bill. (More On This Story)

Alternative Tillage Systems Can Lower Fuel Costs, NCGA Notes
The University of Illinois Extension office recently released a report that suggests no-till and strip-till systems use less fuel and have lower associated costs than typical-till and deep-till systems, the NCGA notes. (More On This Story)

WTO Misses April 30 Modalities Deadline, Now Aims for June Agreement, NCGA Notes
World Trade Organization members missed the April 30 deadline for agreement on agricultural and industrial market access modalities for the Doha Round, but they are expected to attempt to extend the deadline to June, the NCGA notes. (More On This Story)

NCGA Corn, Ethanol Marketing Wins Two Agrimarketing Awards
Efforts to promote ethanol and the role of corn in a carbohydrate economy have earned the NCGA two National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) “Best of NAMA” awards. (More On This Story)

AROUND THE CORN BELT
News from State Associations

South Dakota: The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC) will fund $343,745 in corn-related research at South Dakota State University for the 2006-07 fiscal year that starts in July. The SDCUC funding for those projects comes entirely from the one cent per bushel checkoff that farmers pay on corn sold through local elevators in South Dakota. "The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC) takes seriously its role of administering the corn checkoff and reinvesting it into viable ways of developing new markets and promoting new uses for corn," said Craig Swanson, Chamberlain, producer and research committee chairman for the SDCUC. "In selecting research projects, the SDCUC board is focused on answering the agricultural questions of the future to provide producers with a competitive advantage through new markets and increased profitability."

Projects include:

$8,500 for a project on crop nutrient management
$27,500 for a study on precision deep tillage
$33,000 for a project on dried distillers grain (DDG) as a biocomposite material
$15,300 for a study of insect pests of Bt corn hybrids in South Dakota
$25,000 for a study on enhanced value of DDGS

For more information on the projects funded, visit: www.sdcorn.org.

Illinois: The Illinois General Assembly is expected to pass an ethanol-friendly state budget that provides several components that will act as a catalyst for the continued expansion of renewable fuels. The largest portion of the bill will provide $20 million to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for renewable fuel plant development and should expedite the construction of bio-refineries in the state which will manufacture ethanol or biodiesel. The legislation also includes:

$3 million for new equipment for the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.
$1 million for the NCERC to fund new research operations.
$1 million for ethanol research at Western Illinois University that will focus on maximizing the ethanol yield from the corn, the state’s largest crop.
$100,000 in funding for Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to expedite permits for ethanol and biodiesel.

Of Special Interest:
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Next Week
May 10:	NCGA Vice President of Public Policy Jon Doggett and Director of Public Policy June Silverberg meet with Mexican Minister of Economics Hector Marcus in Washington, D.C.
Calendar information is available on the NCGA Leader Resource Center, http://www.insidencga.com © 2005 National Corn Growers Association