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April
23, 2004 * Volume 11* Number 15
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
Reminds Members IRM Refuges are a Must for Bt Corn Growers
•
NCGA Hails China’s Decision to Import Biotech Corn
• NCGA Participates in Opening of First E-85 Pump in Washington, D.C.
• NCGA Encouraged by Corps Announcement on Lock Expansion
• NCGA-Sponsored Task Force Tours Value-Added Businesses Throughout Corn
Belt
• Wall Street Journal Survey: Lack of Exercise is Leading Cause of Obesity
• NCGA, Industry Partners Continue to Advance Biobased Consumer Market
• NCGA Conveys Concerns on FCC No-Fax Rule
NCGA Reminds Members IRM Refuges are a Must for Bt Corn Growers
As
growers throughout the Corn Belt work through spring planting season,
the NCGA encourages all farmers planting Bt corn borer resistant
corn
to implement insect resistant management (IRM) refuges to ensure
they meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) IRM requirements.
Growers who do not plant proper refuges along with their Bt corn
risk losing access to this technology in the future. (More
On This Story)
NCGA
Hails China’s Decision to Import Biotech Corn
The NCGA applauds
the successful completion of negotiations between the United States
and China Joint Commission on Commerce and
Trade which resulted in China’s approval of four biotech
corn hybrids and seven canola plant varieties. (More
On This Story)
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| Charles Jamison,
treasurer of the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board,
addresses the crowd at Wednesday’s opening of the District
of Columbia’s first E-85 pump. Bob Dineen, center, of the
Renewable Fuels Association, and Shelly Launey, right, of the
Department of Energy, also spoke at the event. |
NCGA Participates in Opening of First E-85 Pump in Washington, D.C.
As gasoline prices continue to spiral higher, lawmakers and consumers
alike are taking a closer look at domestically produced alternative
fuels. On Wednesday, the alternative fuels industry took another step
forward by opening an E-85 pumping station inside the Washington, D.C.,
beltway. The NCGA and other ethanol industry leaders were on hand for
the event. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Encouraged by Corps Announcement on Lock Expansion
Officials from the Army Corps of Engineers said Monday they would
seek congressional approval to extend and modernize a number of locks
on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. As a longtime proponent of
lock modernization, the NCGA welcomes the announcement and looks
forward to congressional authorization of lock construction. (More
On This Story)
NCGA-Sponsored Task Force Tours Value-Added Businesses Throughout
Corn Belt
In its mission to create new value-added business models for corn
growers, the NCGA Future Structure of Agriculture Task Force II (FSATF)
researched and analyzed several rural ventures in the Corn Belt last
week. The task force includes representatives from various sectors
of the agriculture industry. (More
On This Story)
Wall Street Journal Survey: Lack of Exercise is Leading Cause of Obesity
A recent survey by the Wall Street Journal reveals that most Americans
believe a lack of exercise is the main cause of obesity, rather than
certain food ingredients or too many calories. (More
On This Story)
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| New uses for
corn, like this tableware manufactured by Cargill Dow, are increasing
market demand and grower profit opportunities. |
NCGA,
Industry Partners Continue to Advance Biobased Consumer Market
Through
the efforts of the NCGA and industry leaders like Cargill Dow,
the market for corn-based bioproducts in the United States and abroad
is quickly expanding. In early April, Cargill Dow took another step
toward establishing a viable biobased economy by introducing a complete
line of compostable tableware made entirely from corn. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Conveys Concerns
on FCC No-Fax Rule
In comments submitted
last week to the U.S. House and Senate Committees on Energy and Commerce,
the NCGA voiced the need
for changes to the
Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposed No-Fax Rule.
(More
On This Story)
Of Special Interest:
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More calendar information is available on the NCGA Leader Resource
Center, http://www.insidencga.com
© 2004 National
Corn Growers Association
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