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March
19, 2004 * Volume 11* Number 10
NCGA's
Mission: To Create and Increase Opportunities
for Corn Growers in a Changing World
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:
• More
Time Needed to Assess Missouri River Plan, NCGA Says
• NCGA Members Attend Missouri E-85 Pump Grand Opening
• NCGA Hails Extension of the Corn-based Ethanol Incentive
• Corn Growers Examine EU Rules at NCGA
• Traceability and Labeling Conference
• NCGA Comments USTR for Filing of WTO Case on Mexican Beverage Taxes
• NCGA Hails Completion of Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
• NCGA Members, Industry Experts Discuss Future of Maize Genome
• Checkoff Referendum Failure Disappoints NCGA, Wisconsin Associations
• NCGA Announces Initiative to Advance Sequencing of Maize Genome
More Time Needed to Assess Missouri River Plan, NCGA Says
The NCGA
today urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not to adopt the new
Missouri River Master Manual, final environmental impact
statement (FEIS) and 2004 operating plan until corn growers and
other stakeholders are given adequate time to review and comment
on the
documents. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Members Attend
Missouri E-85 Pump Grand Opening
Members of the
NCGA participated in the grand opening of an E-85 retail pump in
Smithville, Mo., the eighth pump of its kind in
Missouri and
169th public pump nationwide. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Hails Extension
of the Corn-based Ethanol Incentive
In a move hailed
by the NCGA, the House Ways and Means Committee voted Wednesday to
extend an ethanol tax incentive through
2010, three years
longer than called for by the Senate’s highway bill. (More
On This Story)
 |
| Discussing
traceability and labeling issues Tuesday with Rep. Dennis Cardoza
(D-Ca.), right, are (from left): Illinois Corn Growers Association
President Martin Barbre; NCGA First Vice President Leon Corzine;
NCGA President Dee Vaughan; and NCGA Chairman Fred Yoder. |
Corn Growers Examine EU Rules at NCGA Traceability and Labeling Conference
Farmers, food
industry representatives and others attending Tuesday’s
NCGA Traceability and Labeling Conference in Washington, D.C., raised
serious concerns about the impact of new European Union (EU) requirements
on U.S. agriculture exports. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Commends USTR
for Filing of WTO Case on Mexican Beverage Taxes
The NCGA applauds
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick’s
March 16 announcement that the United States is filing a World Trade
Organization (WTO) case against Mexico concerning the country’s
discriminatory soft drink tax. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Hails Completion
of Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
The NCGA applauds
the successful completion of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations
March 16 with the Dominican Republic. Through
these negotiations, the U.S feed grains industry locks in tariff-free
status
with the Dominican Republic immediately for corn and other agriculture
products. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Members,
Industry Experts Discuss Future of Maize Genome
The NCGA on March
15 announced the genetic structure of corn could be decoded several
years ahead of schedule, thanks to
the release
of genome sequencing data by Monsanto Company, DuPont's Pioneer
Hi-Bred International Inc. and Ceres Inc. (More
On This Story)
Checkoff Referendum
Failure Disappoints NCGA, Wisconsin Associations
A Wisconsin referendum
calling for significant reform of the state’s
corn checkoff program was voted down last week, leaving in place the
one-tenth of a cent per bushel assessment currently paid by the state’s
growers. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Announces
Initiative to Advance Sequencing of Maize Genome
Efforts to sequence
the maize genome received a boost this week with the announcement
by the NCGA that three
industry
leaders
will share
their corn genome sequence data. The valuable data
provided by Ceres, Inc., Monsanto Company, and DuPont
subsidiary,
Pioneer Hi-Bred International,
Inc., combined with corn sequence data already in
the public domain, will significantly accelerate the identification
of genes
within
the entire corn genome. (More
On This Story)
Of Special Interest:
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Here To
View Your Local Weekend Weather Forecast
Next Week
| March 22-24 |
NCGA
Corn Board member Bob Dickey, Research & Business Development
Action Team member Ron Obermoller and manager of Livestock Information
and Program Tracy Snider will attend the Animal Ag Alliance Conference
in Arlington, Va. |
| March 22 |
NCGA CEO
Rick Tolman will attend the Role of Biomass in America’s
Energy Future meeting, New York, N.Y. |
More calendar information is available on the NCGA Leader Resource
Center, http://www.insidencga.com
© 2004 National
Corn Growers Association
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