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:
- NCGA’s CUTC to Highlight New Corn Technologies
- NCGA’s IRMLC Tabbed as Program for Continuing Education Credits
- Orman Free Trade Agreement Benefits Corn Industry, NCGA Notes
- Post-Hong Kong Trade Talks Should Emphasize Market Access, NCGA Notes
- NCGA Reminds Growers of Jan. 19 Early Registration Deadline for 2006 Commodity Classic
- NCGA Reminds Growers to Register for Trade School in Chicago, Des Moines
- NCGA Applauds South Korea, Singapore Lifting of U.S. Beef Ban
- Corn Growers Encouraged by Global Advancement of Biotechnology Crops
**********************************
NCGA’s CUTC to Highlight New Corn Technologies
Topics and chairmen have been finalized for the 2006 Corn Utilization Technology Conference (CUTC) which has been expanded this year to include value-added corn products, dry grind and wet milling processes and new applications for dried distillers grains with solubles. The chairmen of each respective section have selected speakers that will focus on the state of the art and progress of each of their sessions. The premier technology conference on corn products, hosted by the NCGA every other year, will be held in Dallas, June 5-7. (More On This Story)
NCGA’s IRMLC Tabbed as Program for Continuing Education Credits
Certified crop advisers and members of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) are now eligible to receive one continuing education credit by completing the NCGA’s Insect Resistance Management (IRM) program. (More On This Story)
|
 |
| U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and His Excellency Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Oman’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, signed the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement this week which will open a new market for corn and corn products while eliminating tariffs and barriers. National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Chairman Leon Corzine said this is good news for corn growers who want to be competitive and increase their market access across the globe. |
Oman Free Trade Agreement Benefits Corn Industry, NCGA Notes
This week the United States and Oman signed a free trade agreement (FTA) that will open a new market for corn and corn products while eliminating tariffs and barriers. NCGA Chairman Leon Corzine said this is good news for corn growers who want to be competitive and increase their market access across the globe. (More On This Story)
Post-Hong Kong Trade Talks Should Emphasize Market Access, NCGA Note
NCGA Chairman Leon Corzine said the announcement that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round agriculture negotiation group will convene its first post-Hong Kong talks on farm trade Jan. 23 is a step forward in advancing key issues important to corn growers, such as market access. (More On This Story)
NCGA Reminds Growers of Jan. 19 Early Registration Deadline for 2006 Commodity Classic
The NCGA urges corn growers to take advantage of tomorrow’s early registration deadline for the 2006 Commodity Classic in Anaheim, Calif, March 2-4. Grower members who register by Jan. 19 will save $50. (More On This Story)
NCGA Reminds Growers to Register for Trade School in Chicago, Des Moines
The National Corn Growers Association urges growers to register to attend the Chicago Trade School Jan. 26-27 at the Rosemount Hyatt and take the important step toward understanding the fundamental issue of trade. (More On This Story)
NCGA Applauds South Korea, Singapore Lifting of U.S. Beef Ban
The NCGA welcomes news that South Korea and Singapore have initial agreements to reopen their markets to U.S. beef. The initial agreements will allow the United States to export boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age under a Beef Export Verification Program. (More On This Story)
Corn Growers Encouraged by Global Advancement of Biotechnology Crops
Responding to a survey demonstrating that the United States continues to be a dominant factor in the planting of biotech crops, NCGA Biotech Working Group Chairman Martin Barbre said today U.S. farmers understand the many benefits this technology offers and are setting examples for the rest of the world. (More On This Story)
|
AROUND THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
Colorado: Trent Bushner, President of the Colorado Corn Growers Association, said there would be a significant push for two pieces of legislation in the Colorado legislature this year. The first is a requirement that all gasoline sold in Colorado contain a 10% blend of ethanol. The second piece of legislation is an effort by the Colorado Corn Growers to provide additional protection and support for surface owners who suffer damage as a result of drilling operations. Colorado Corn worked closely with Representative Kathleen Curry, Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, to develop a bill to address the issue of compensation for lost property value due to drilling. At the moment both bills have an excellent chance to pass both houses of the legislature. Both however, face a likely veto by Governor Bill Owens . The question remains whether or not the legislature will be able to get enough votes to override the veto. In twelve years in office, Owens has had no veto overrides.
Nebraska: Nebraska corn producers established new standards for quality in 2005, according to a new report from the Nebraska Corn Board. The 2005-06 Nebraska Corn Quality Report shows 97% of the 2005 Corn Quality Study samples graded #1 in 2005, compared to 92.3% in 2004 and 84.2% in 2003. The average of corn grading #1 throughout the history of the study, which began in 1991, is 73.3%. The average test weight in the 2005 survey is 59.7 pounds per bushel, an improvement over both the 2004 average of 58.7 and the 2003 average of 57.8 pounds per bushel. The historical average, since 1991, was 57.8 pounds per bushel. Aflatoxin was not a problem, with no samples testing positive for aflatoxin in 2005.
Illinois: Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama have been joined by nine other Senators in signing a letter in support of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Tax Credit that was enacted January 1, 2006. The letter urges Secretary John Snow to expedite the IRS guidance and rule making so that the new credit may be used by fuel retailers to install E85 infrastructure. The infrastructure credit provision was included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that was signed by President Bush late last summer. The E85 provision of the bill will allow a retailer to receive a 30 percent income tax credit up to $30,000 for infrastructure of the alternative fuel. The U.S. Senators which signed the Snow letter include: Illinois Senators Barack Obama and Richard Durbin, Missouri Senator Jim Talent, Indiana Senators Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, Colorado Senator Ken Salazar, Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, and Minnesota Senators Norm Coleman and Mark Dayton. |
|
KEY ISSUES
