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:
- WASDE: Corn Growers Harvest 11.112
Billion Bushels in 2005
- Commodity
Classic Countdown: 48 Days Remaining
- NCGA
Gallery of Corn Photo Contest Winners Announced
- Corn
Growers Urge Changes to CSP Sign-Up Date
- NCGA,
Coalition Requests Suspension of SPCC Rule Citing Uncertainty with
Applicability
- Corn
Growers Head to St. Louis for Policy Meetings
- NCGA’s
Tolman Reelected MARC2000 Chairman
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WASDE: Corn Growers Harvest
11.112 Billion Bushels in 2005
Despite economic and environmental challenges, the NCGA salutes
U.S. growers for their efforts in 2005, as they successfully
produced an 11.112 billion bushel corn crop. The U.S. Department
of Agriculture released its World Agricultural Supply and Demand
Estimates (WASDE) yesterday, announcing the final projections
for corn productions, placing the 2005 harvest as the second
largest on record. (More
On This Story)
Commodity Classic Countdown:
48 Days Remaining
There are only
48 days until 10th annual Commodity Classic, the convention
and trade show presented by the NCGA and American Soybean Association
(ASA). This year’s event is in Anaheim,
Calif., March 2-4. Growers who register before Jan. 19 will
save $50 on their registration fees. (More
On This Story) |
 Peggy
Bellar of Howard, Kan. won Grand Prize in the 2005 National Corn Growers
Association Gallery of Corn Photo Contest with this entry in the Growing
Category.
NCGA Gallery of Corn Photo Contest
Winners Announced
Peggy Bellar
of Howard, Kan., snapped the grand prize photo in the 2005 NCGA Gallery
of Corn Photo Contest. Judges selected her photo, entered in the “Growing” category,
of pollinating corn set against a backdrop of grain silos as the contest’s “best
of show.” (More
On This Story)
Corn Growers Urge Changes to CSP Sign-Up
Date The NCGA, along with
other key agricultural industry organizations, this week called on
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to begin the enrollment process
for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) as soon as possible. An
enrollment period that begins before the spring planting season is
important to farmers and ranchers as this allows them more time to
work through the self-assessment and application process. (More
On This Story)
NCGA, Coalition Requests Suspension
of SPCC Rule Citing Uncertainty with Applicability
The NCGA, as part of the Agriculture Coalition on
the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC), requested
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suspend compliance with
the SPCC rule citing uncertainty with the applicability of the rule.
(More
On This Story)
Corn Growers Head to St. Louis for
Policy Meetings
Corn grower leaders
across the nation are heading to St. Louis to develop and finalize
the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) priorities and policies
for the year. NCGA derives its policy based on directives from its
states and grower leaders. (More
On This Story)
NCGA’s Tolman Reelected MARC2000
Chairman
The Midwest Area Rivers
Coalition 2000 (MARC2000) reelected NCGA Chief Executive Officer Rick
Tolman as chairman for 2006. (More
On This Story)
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AROUND THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
Illinois: Grower leaders of the Illinois Corn Growers Association
(ICGA) are in Springfield today to participate in the announcement
of legislation which proposes to create an Illinois Renewable Fuels
Standard. The bill would establish a base for the amount of
ethanol fuels consumed in Illinois. The measure would also
revise the State Sales Tax incentives for 10%-blend ethanol fuel,
providing a new tool to encourage the development of alternative
fuels in Illinois. The Illinois RFS would establish a minimum of
10% of all gasoline consumed in Illinois would be ethanol by 2008. By
2012, 15% of all gasoline consumed in the state would be ethanol. The
bill provides the industry the flexibility of blending the fuel with
either 10% ethanol or at the 85% ethanol level for flexible fuel
capable vehicles
Nebraska: The Nebraska Corn Board is encouraging Nebraska farmers
and irrigators to take advantage of a USDA Rural Development Grant
program designed to help them make energy efficiency improvements
on their farms. The grant program is valued at more than $22 million,
according to Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn
Board. The money has been available under the USDA 9006 energy program
for the previous three years, and approximately $22 million is expected
to be available for fiscal year 2006. Hutchens said the USDA grant
funds could apply towards reducing energy costs for irrigation systems
or pumping systems. They could also be used to help with insulation,
refrigeration or lighting systems on the farm or in an agribusiness
operation. Grant requests can be made for up to 25 percent of project
costs, with a minimum of $1,500 and maximum of $250,000 for energy
improvements. For renewable projects, the minimum is $2,500 and the
maximum is $500,000.
Michigan: If you want to hear the latest
information and learn more about the issues that are affecting the
Michigan corn industry, you should attend the Michigan Corn Growers
Association (MCGA) 2006 Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held
Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing. Registration and
breakfast will commence at 9:00 a.m. with the program beginning at
9:30 a.m. If you would like to become a member and vote during the
business session allowing your voice to be heard at the Annual Meeting,
please contact the MCGA office at 1-888-323-6601. Membership in the
MCGA is $60 for one year, $155 for three years or $500 for a lifetime.
The deadline to register for the Annual Meeting is Jan. 27. |
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KEY ISSUES
