IN THIS ISSUE:

• Study Finds Competitiveness at Home for U.S. Producers NCGA, ASA, AFBF, USB Say Imports are Here to Stay
• NCGA Pleased with Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri River
• NCGA Grassroots Speaks Out on Behalf of RFS
• NCGA Captures Two National Agri-marketing Awards
• LRC Provides Corn Grower Leaders with Online Access to NCGA information
• NCGA Displays Commitment to Pest Containment at Symposium
• NCGA Continues Trend of Successful Co-Products Meetings
• NCGA Continues to Lead Efforts on Corn-Genome Research
• NCGA Optimistic About U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement
• NCGA Tours SIU-E Ethanol Pilot Plant
• NCGA Lauds New Corn-Derived Carpeting as a Victory in Agricultural Research

Study Finds Competitiveness at Home for U.S. Producers NCGA, ASA, AFBF, USB Say Imports are Here to Stay
Producers should focus on the continuing trend of international imports and maintaining their competitive edge in the U.S. marketplace, according to a study released today by NCGA, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), American Soybean Association (ASA) and United Soybean Board (USB). These are among the results of the independent study, "Southeast U.S. Feedstuff Imports: Causal Factors and Recommended Response," conducted by Promar International. The groups sponsored the study out of concern for the increasing amount of feedstuffs being imported in the Southeastern United States. While the study did not find significant changes that caused the imports, such as falling ocean freight rates or increasing U.S. rail and trucking rates, it did identify what made them more economical. Significant improvements in transportation infrastructures in Brazil and Argentina and lower production costs in those countries are examples. The organizations set out to find the main factors behind the Southeast's imports of feed ingredients, what it meant for the future of U.S. farmers and what producers could do to improve their competitiveness in the market for feed ingredients in the southeastern states. To view the study in its entirety, click here: http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2003/pdfs/Southeast_Import_Study.pdf.

NCGA Pleased with Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri River
NCGA is pleased the Army Corps of Engineers' annual operating plan (AOP) for the Missouri River will not include a repeat of last year's so-called bird operations. It will also provide no less than minimum navigation service levels during the bird-nesting season.

The AOP was previewed at a series of hearings held last week in Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. A formal announcement is expected later today. Specifically, the AOP will include both steady and flow-to-target releases. Steady releases of 26,000-27,000 cubic feet per second (KCFS) will begin in mid-May. The levels should be adequate to inundate some low-lying sandbars that the Corps wants covered so the birds will not use them. The Corps also will be allowed to increase flows to hit minimum navigation service targets if tributary inflows require the adjustment. Once flows are raised to supplement tributary support, they will not be lowered throughout the bird-nesting season. The Corps will begin formal negotiations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the Master Manual later this week. The manual, which the Corps has been trying to update for about 14 years, sets the framework for how the river is managed. The Corps plans to finish negotiations this year so it can implement an updated master plan by spring 2004.

NCGA Grassroots Speaks Out on Behalf of RFS
Thousands of corn growers from all over the nation have told Congress they want a renewable fuels standard (RFS). National Corn Growers Association members continue to show their grassroots support of an RFS and have logged on to the Legislative Action Center (LAC) at NCGA's web site www.ncga.com to let their elected officials know why an RFS is important, not just for the nation's corn growers, but for the entire nation. NCGA members, in the last 90 days, have sent 2,016 e-mails from the LAC to members of Congress, voicing their support for the RFS. Legislators are indeed getting the message. The RFS cleared a hurdle April 11, when H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act 2003, containing RFS language, passed easily, 247 - 177. The Senate will vote on S. 791, the Reliable Fuels Act of 2003, which contains an RFS, after its spring recess.

To contact your elected official, visit the LAC at www.ncga.com and click on the Action Alert icon at the top-right section of the web site.

NCGA Captures Two National Agri-marketing Awards
NCGA this week picked up two National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) awards in the Best of NAMA National Golden ARC Awards 2002. The awards, which acknowledge creative and excellence in agricultural communications, were presented at the annual NAMA conference and trade show in San Diego. NCGA took First Place in the Trade Ads-Single category for its "Think Tank" ethanol ad, published last summer in the Roll Call in Washington, D.C.; and won a Merit award in the Public Affairs/Issues Management category for its "Know Before You Grow" program. Mimi Ricketts, communications director for NCGA, accepted the awards.

This year 1,155 entries were judged in six regions across the country. Regional winners advanced to the national competition. In addition to its "Think Tank" and Know Before Your Grow entries, NCGA garnered three other regional awards, including the 2002 World of Corn, its "Rocks" brochures and the farm bill calculator.

LRC Provides Corn Grower Leaders with Online Access to NCGA information
The NCGA Leader Resource Center (LRC) is the online resource for state and national corn grower leaders. The LRC is available to state board members, Corn Board, national team, committee and working group members, Corn Congress delegates and state and national staffs. The site is available at http://www.insidencga.com by subscription only. If you need your username or password reset or need assistance using the site, please contact membership@ncga.com Recent information added to the site include:

• Defending Agriculture Discussion Board (open to all LRC users)
• Identity Preserved Contract Survey
• Survey Question Discussion Board (open to all LRC site users)

BIOTECHNOLOGY

• Meeting Notes from The National IPM Symposium and the CAST Pest Resistance Management Symposium (PDF)

CORN BOARD

• Strategic Plan (Interim Edition) March 2003

HEALTH AND NUTRITION

• "Obesity Issues Impact at Commodity Level," - World Perspectives, Inc., February 2003
• "Friendly Fire? U.S.D.A. Obesity Research Targets Refined Grains," - Milling & Baking News, February 4, 2003
• "USDA Research Points to Added Sugars Role in Obesity," - Corn Briefs, February 7, 2003
• "ADM Adds Fat to the Fire in Obesity Debate with Oil Touted as Fat Fighter," - Brandweek, February 10, 2003
• "One Less Cookie," - Herald & Review, February 12, 2003
• "General Trends Identified in Media Coverage on Obesity," - International Food Information Council, March 2003
• "Legal Battle on Price Fixing Moves Forward," - Feedstuffs, March 10, 2003
• "Is Corn Syrup a Factor in Obesity Trend?," Toronto Star via NewsEdge, March 17, 2003
• "CRA Responds to LA Times Article on HFCS," - CRA Corn Briefs, April 4, 2003

STATE STAFF MEETING

• December 2002 Value-Added Meeting Action Items (PDF)
• October 2002 State Exec Meeting Action Items (PDF)
• April 2002 Action Items (PDF)

NCGA Displays Commitment to Pest Containment at Symposium
Throughout time, an arch enemy of producers have been insects. These pests have been known to destroy entire fields, leaving growers with nothing to show for their toil. NCGA, a proponent of integrated pest management (IPM), displayed its support of the university extensions that have worked tirelessly on this program at a symposium last week in Indianapolis.

NCGA Director of Development Tom Slunecka attended the weeklong conference, which attracted nearly 80 attendees representing corn growers, the grain industry, university agriculture programs, and state and federal agencies. During the conference, speakers addressed pest-resistance issues, what is being done to manage the resistance problems, and the barriers to pest-resistance management.

The meeting was also the scene for the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) symposium, focusing on issues concerning insect resistance management (IRM), a program NCGA has supported strongly since its inception. Issues discussed during the CAST conference included the scope of resistance problems in North America, lessons learned from past problems with the program, and regulation, research, education, and funding, among others. Slunecka said NCGA continues to promote the importance of IRM and will further its education with its new online, interactive learning module scheduled to be released this summer.

NCGA Continues Trend of Successful Co-Products Meetings
NCGA and Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) continued its focus on the benefits of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) at the NCGA Regional Distillers Grains Workshop last week in Des Moines, Iowa. The conference, attended by nearly 50 corn growers, animal science researchers and ethanol plant representatives, focused on promoting the benefits of the ethanol co-product.

Over the course of the meeting, discussions on DDGS marketing and wet distillers grains preservation were presented, as well as a feed industry panel hosted by Mike Adams of AgriTalk. AgriTalk aired the roundtable discussion live through its nationally syndicated radio show. The meeting capped off a week of co-product-related symposiums, starting with the National Distillers Grains Marketing Conference, sponsored in part by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, Land, and Stewardship. It began April 7 with a reception and trade show, followed by the conference April 8-9. The event enabled participants to exchange research, survey data, as well as share real world experiences as the industry identified barriers and developed marketing strategies for the ever-increasing volume of distillers grains.

NCGA Continues to Lead Efforts on Corn Genome Research
In the continuing effort to keep corn growers abreast of the latest in agricultural research, NCGA Director of Public Policy Betsy Croker and Research and Business Development Manager Nathan Danielson met last week with researchers at USDA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to discuss corn growers' support of corn-genome research. Croker and Danielson met with Dr. Leland Ellis, the national program leader for genomics and bioinformatics for USDA's Agricultural Research Service and discussed the agency's efforts to create genomic tools enabling researchers to share information about specific plant species such as corn, as well as between species, such as corn and rice.
They also met with NSF researchers Dr. Machi Dilworth, division director, biological infrastructure; Dr. Jane Silverthorn, program director; Dr. Anne W. Sylvester, program director; and Dr. Robert Last, program director. NSF's fiscal year 2004 budget request to Congress stated, "maize is the most economically important crop in the U.S. and knowledge of its genome sequence can help improve crop yield and nutritional quality, and expand its uses. The maize sequencing effort is also pioneering a novel method to sequence large genomes more efficiently."

NCGA Optimistic About U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement
NCGA is showing optimism concerning the implementation of the U.S.-Chile free trade agreement which would make tariffs a thing of the past in Chile for many U.S. feed grains - including barley, corn and sorghum.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative recently released the text of the FTA, including the tariff schedules that were negotiated. Upon implementation of the agreement, tariffs on sorghum, barley and malt, and bi-products of corn milling, which currently stand at 6 percent, will be eliminated.

For corn, the 6 percent tariff will stay in place for the first two years of the agreement and become duty-free Jan. 1 of the third year.
The U.S.-Chile FTA also will eliminate tariffs on barley and malt putting the U.S. on par to compete with Canadian exports, which have been subject to zero duty since the Canada-Chile FTA came into force in 1997. The U.S.-Chile FTA could be signed after May 1, however the Bush administration has not announced a date. --U.S. Grains Council provided information for this report.

NCGA Tours SIU-E Ethanol Pilot Plant
NCGA research staff got a glimpse of how construction is progressing and discussed potential collaboration opportunities during a tour of the National Corn to Ethanol Pilot Plant (NCERPP) on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville on Tuesday. Representing the NCGA were Director of Business Development/Corn Processing Research Rene Shunk and Research and Development Manager Nathan Danielson.
The NCERPP will be a state-of-the-art, 24,000 square-foot facility.

Additionally, Shunk and Danielson met with representatives from Archer Daniels Midland to discuss the possibility of conducting segments of the Fiber Utilization Project at the NCERPP. The aim of the project is to convert corn fiber to higher-value products, opening new markets for corn growers as well as economically deriving high-value chemicals and oils from lower-value corn fiber.

NCGA Lauds New Corn-Derived Carpeting as a Victory in Agricultural Research
NCGA is lauding the release of a high-style modular floor covering made from Ingeo fiber, a substance derived from corn. NCGA hailed the new product, claiming it is a victory for renewables and agricultural research. The introduction of the carpeting line by InterfaceFLOR, Inc. marks the first time a company has launched a residential floor covering made from the branded, proprietary fiber. Ingeo fiber is a new textile made from corn-produced polylactic acid (PLA), manufactured by Cargill Dow. When used in flooring applications, the fiber features the inherent advantages of stain resistance, UV resilience, soft feel, vibrant colors and lasting performance. The product is available direct to consumers via catalogue or the Web site www.interfaceflor.com.

This product, along with hundreds of other corn-based products, can be found at NCGA's Technology and Commerical Development Center located at http://lepton.marz.com/ncga/comm_dev_center/index.htm.

NCGA THIS WEEK

• April 21-22 NCGA CEO Rick Tolman will be in Washington, D.C. Tolman will meet with U.S. Grains Council CEO Ken Hobbie April 22

2003 National Corn Growers Association

ST. LOUIS OFFICE

WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICE