Commodity Classic Welcomes National Sorghum Producers in 2009
Commodity Classic, the tradeshow and convention of the U.S. corn, soybean and wheat producers, announces the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) will be part of the premier annual event for agriculture when it meets in Grapevine, Texas in 2009.
The 2009 Commodity Classic will be held Feb. 26-28 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center on Lake Grapevine in Grapevine, Texas.
“We are very excited to take part in Commodity Classic in 2009,” said NSP President Dale Murden. “We recognize that farmers grow diverse crops and Commodity Classic gives producers the opportunity to network and learn about corn, soybeans, wheat, and now sorghum all at the same time.”
Joint programming, crop-specific education, Learning Center sessions, What is New sessions, a dynamic General Session, and a large tradeshow with hundreds of booths highlighting equipment, products and services that are important to farmers are key Commodity Classic attractions for producers, their families and agribusiness partners.
“The National Sorghum Producers will work in conjunction with the other commodities to offer joint programming as well as sorghum-specific education and networking. An NSP-only meeting will be held either directly before or after the Classic,” Murden added.
Click here for more information about Commodity Classic.
Distiller Grains Exports Nearly Double in One Year
Distillers grains exports in 2007 set a new record and were nearly double export levels in 2006, according to data released this week by the Foreign Agriculture Service, Department of Commerce and U.S. Census Bureau. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) hailed this as important news for those interested in corn ethanol’s important co product.
“The export market for distillers grains continues to grow tremendously,” said Bill Hoffman, Chairman of NCGA’s Joint Trade Policy A-Team, which partners on trade issues with the U.S. Grains Council. “The strong demand for ethanol co products in foreign markets in 2007 demonstrates the significant nutritional and economic value of these products for livestock.”
The United States exported 2.36 million metric tons of distillers grains in 2007, up 88 percent from the 1.25 million metric tons exported in 2006. Export totals in 2007 were nearly triple 2004 levels.
For the second year in a row, Mexico registered as the top customer of U.S. distillers grains exports. More than 700,000 metric tons of distillers grains, about 30 percent of total exports, went to Mexico last year. Canada was the second-leading market for U.S. distillers grains exports in 2007 (317,580 metric tons), followed by Turkey (136,519 metric tons), Taiwan (134,404 metric tons) and Korea (102,259 metric tons). Exports to Mexico in 2007 were up 93 percent from 2006.
Shipments to Central and Southeast Asia surged in 2007. Notably, Turkey had imported just 632 metric tons of distillers grains prior to receiving 136,519 metric tons in 2007. Significant gains were also seen in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Israel, and Indonesia. Cuba, Chile, Morocco, the Netherlands and Spain also imported considerably more distillers grains in 2007 than in 2006.
According to NCGA estimates, approximately 14 percent of U.S.-produced distillers grains were exported in 2007.
“Distillers grains exports were generally flat between the mid-1990s and 2004, but we’ve seen major upticks in demand in each of the last three years,” Hoffman said. “We believe growth in international demand is a direct result of the market development efforts of the corn and ethanol industries and the U.S. Grains Council.”
Don’t Delay … Save Now by Entering NCGA’s 2008 National Corn Yield Contest
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) urges its members to enter the 2008 National Corn Yield Contest. The entry form, with revised rules, is now posted online and a discount is offered those whose entry forms are postmarked by July 1.
Last year, nearly 5,000 entries were received for the contest, and 529 state and national winners in nine categories celebrated yields averaging 237.1 bushels per acre – a significant increase on the overall national average in 2007 of 151.1 bushels per acre, noted NCGA officials.
“We’re excited about this program because it gives our members a chance to celebrate their hard work, and show what the American farmer can do,” said David Ward, chairman of NCGA’s Production and Stewardship Action Team. “We’re committed to growing enough corn to meet all needs and we challenge our members to beat the 2007 numbers – whether in number of entries or number of bushels grown per acre – and in an environmentally friendly manner, with less nitrogen per bushel.”
Ward said there are some changes to the 2008 rules, and entrants need to pay close attention particularly to the changes pertaining to supervisors who check or recheck the counts. For example, if two supervisors complete the initial check, a recheck is not required for yields less than 300 bushels per acre; whereas initial checks completed by one supervisor requires a recheck at 250 bushels per acre. Also, one supervisor that completed the initial check may be approved or assigned by NCGA to be one of the two supervisors completing a recheck.
Click here for the 2008 entry form.
Click here to review the 2007 winners.
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NEXT WEEK:
Due to Commodity Classic next week, the Corn Commentary will not be produced Friday, February 29. The next issue of Corn Commentary will be Friday, March 7 |
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