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April
16, 2004 * Volume 11* Number 14
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:
• NCGA
Voices Support of ESA Counterpart Regulation
• NCGA Concerned Over Implementation of EU Regulations
• NCGA Leaders Troubled by Rising Fuel, Fertilizer Prices
•
University Study Re-confirms Ethanol’s Positive Energy Balance,
NCGA Notes
• NCGA Members Reap Benefits of Emerging Technologies
• NCGA Responds to Misleading Article on HFCS, Obesity
• Coalition Letter Urges Bush to Support Ethanol Legislation
NCGA Voices Support of ESA Counterpart Regulation
In comments
submitted this week to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS),
NCGA voiced its support of a proposed rule that would simplify
the federal pesticide regulatory process and bring it into compliance
with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). (More
On This Story)
NCGA Concerned
Over Implementation of EU Regulations
NCGA is bracing
for the April 18 implementation of two European Union (EU) regulations
mandating the labeling and traceability
of products
derived from biotechnology. The regulations will have far-reaching
impacts on U.S. agriculture and food exports, according to NCGA.
(More On
This Story)
NCGA Leaders Troubled
by Rising Fuel, Fertilizer Prices
The price of corn
is up – but so is the cost of production.
As corn growers head into the fields for the spring planting
season, higher
fuel and fertilizer prices threaten to significantly increase
operating expenses for the second year in a row, according to NCGA
President
Dee Vaughan. (More
On This Story)
University
Study Re-Confirms Ethanol’s Positive Energy Balance,
NCGA Notes
Ethanol provides
30 to 40 percent more energy than it takes to produce, according
to a recent University of Nebraska
study on
the fuel’s
net energy balance. The study, conducted by scientist
Dan Walters, confirms earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture
research that shows
ethanol has a positive net energy balance. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Members Reap
Benefits of Emerging Technologies
From computer-equipped
combines to web-based grain marketing systems, technology is revolutionizing
the corn industry.
Growers across
the country are using new devices and information
systems to enhance the
production process, improve efficiency and increase
profits. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Responds
to Misleading Article on HFCS, Obesity
The NCGA on April
12 refuted a recent media report condemning high fructose corn syrup
(HFCS) as a
primary cause of
the mounting U.S.
obesity problem.(More
On This Story)
Coalition Letter Urges Bush to Support Ethanol
Legislation
NCGA commends
the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition for its April
9 letter urging President George W. Bush to support enactment of
the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) during the 108th Congress.(More
On This
Story)
Of Special Interest:
Career Opportunities:
NCGA is seeking
applicants for three staff positions – Director
of Agriculture Economics (St. Louis); Director of Public Policy (Washington,
D.C.); and Secretary/Receptionist (Washington, D.C.). To learn more
about the jobs, go to www.ncga.com/aboutus/career_opps/index.html.
Next Week:
| May 17-18 |
NCGA Membership
Manager Byron Keelin attends the Rural Development Conference
in Kansas City, Mo. |
| May
17-18 |
NCGA Director
of Business Development Rene Shunk attends Esters Project meeting
in Lansing, Mich. |
| May
18-21 |
NCGA CEO Rick
Tolman and State Executives attend Executive’s Retreat
in Louisville, Ky. |
| May
19 |
NCGA President
Dee Vaughan gives testimony at congressional trade hearing in
Washington, D.C. |
More calendar information is available on the NCGA Leader Resource
Center, http://www.insidencga.com
© 2004 National Corn
Growers Association
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