|
|  |
October
22, 2004 * Volume 11* Number 41
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
Applauds President Bush for Signing Corporate Tax Bill
• NCGA
Members, State Associations Win Prizes for Top Recruitment Efforts
• NCGA
President Stresses Importance of Rural Vote this Election
• NCGA Rebutes NRC Report on Corps’ Lock Modernization Plan
• Future of Agriculture Focus of Commodity Classic General Session Panel
• Bush, Kerry Campaigns Respond to NCGA Questions on Key Corn Grower
Issues
• USDA Awards $13.1 Million In Value-Added Rural Development Grants, NCGA
Notes
NCGA Applauds President Bush for Signing Corporate Tax Bill
The NCGA today commended President George W. Bush for signing into
law the American JOBS Creation Act of 2004, also known as the corporate
tax bill. The legislation supports expansion of the ethanol industry,
promotes job growth and benefits rural communities. The president signed
the bill this morning aboard Air Force One. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Members, State Associations Win Prizes for Top Recruitment Efforts
The NCGA recently recognized individual corn growers and state associations
for outstanding membership recruitment efforts for the third quarter
of the 2004 calendar year. (More
On This Story)
NCGA President Stresses Importance of Rural Vote this Election
As Election Day nears, the NCGA focuses on educating rural voters
on issues important to the agricultural sector, according to NCGA President
Leon Corzine, an Illinois corn grower. (More
On This Story)
 |
| Michael
Brubaker of US Landcare met with NCGA staff to discuss
the future goals of the US Landcare Initiative. NCGA joined
the initiative in September in order to promote a renewed
commitment to conservation among farmers and to help the
farm community share its highly successful conservation
story with the public. NCGA is the first farm commodity
organization to join the initiative, which strives to promote
and enhance conservation ethics across the United States.
US Landcare is recruiting corporate sponsors interested
in participating in local conservation efforts and will
match these sponsors with projects and communities to address
local natural resource issues. In addition, the initiative
will help communities create their own Landcare organizations
to address local concerns. Pictured from left are Jon Doggett,
NCGA vice president of public policy, Betsy Croker, NCGA
director of public policy, Mike Brubaker, US Landcare executive
director and CEO and Rick Tolman, |
NCGA
Refutes NRC Report on Corps’ Lock Modernization Plan
The
NCGA today challenged recent assertions by the National Research
Council (NRC) that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ navigation
study is “flawed” and does not justify construction
of new locks on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. (More
On This Story)
Future
of Agriculture Focus of Commodity Classic General Session
Panel
Corn
and soybean growers who attend the 2005 Commodity Classic, Feb.
24-26 in Austin, Texas, will have a unique opportunity to hear
premier agriculture experts and futurists address the outlook
for U.S. agriculture during a dynamic, high-energy General Session
panel discussion entitled “Growing America’s Future.” Commodity
Classic is the joint annual convention and trade show of the
NCGA and American Soybean Association. (More
On This Story)
Bush,
Kerry Campaigns Respond to NCGA Questions on Key Corn Grower
Issues
President
George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry have responded to questions
posed by the NCGA concerning how the respective candidates, if
elected, would handle various issues of importance to corn growers.
(More
On This Story)
USDA
Awards $13.1 Million in Value-Added Rural Development Grants,
NCGA Notes
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week announced the
approval of 97 value-added agricultural product market development
grants in 34 states, totaling more than $13.1 million. In support
of the administration’s 2001 energy plan, $2.1 million
will fund proposals from biomass and renewable energy ventures.
(More
On This Story) |
|
AROUND
THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
SOUTH
DAKOTA: Heartland Grain Fuels LP of Aberdeen
and Huron on Wednesday received a $150,000 grant to make
its plants more profitable and efficient. Heartland will
match the grant. The money will be used to investigate
what additional products might be made at the plants,
which currently produce ethanol and its by-product, distiller's
grain. The grant is a Rural Development Value-Added Agricultural
Product Market Development Grant from USDA.
IOWA: A
New York-based holding company has bought a defunct eastern
Iowa ethanol plant and plans to resume production and expand
the operation. The plant south of Blairstown was purchased
for $5.7 million by Xethanol Corporation. The plant was the
state's first farmer-owned ethanol operation, opening in
1998 as Sunrise Energy Cooperative. It closed after suffering
financial problems in 2002.
ILLINOIS: The
Illinois Corn Growers Association and the Illinois Corn Marketing
Board joined the Illinois Livestock Development Group this
week at Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s Livestock Summit to
lay the groundwork for building up Illinois’ diminishing
livestock industry. The group discussed the challenges and
issues facing the livestock industry and worked to formulate
solutions to improve the state’s No. 1 agricultural
value-added activity.
MISSOURI: USDA
forecasts Missouri corn production at a record 444.6 million
bushels, 47 percent above last year's production. The forecast
record yield of 156 bushels per acre is 48 bushels above
the 2003 yield. If realized, this yield would be 13 bushels
above the previous record set in 2000.
NORTH
DAKOTA: The North Dakota Corn Utilization
Council, N.D. Soybean Council and N.D. Pork Producers
Council have joined forces to create the Livestock Alliance
of ND (LAND). The new alliance will educate and promote
the economic benefits of the livestock industry in North
Dakota, whose numbers has been decreasing in recent years.
NDCUC Executive Director Jocie Iszler said only 10 percent
of North Dakota corn is fed to livestock within the state
compared to the national average of 53 percent.
MINNESOTA: The
DENCO, LLC, ethanol plant in Morris, Minn., recently qualified
under Monsanto’s “Fuel Your Profits” initiative
to have an E-85 fuel pump installed for free. The E-85
fuel pump grand opening took place Thursday at the Jerry's
U-Save
in Morris. Customers enjoyed a special price of 85 cents
per gallon on E-85 fuel throughout the day.
|
|
Of
Special Interest:
Next Week:
| Oct.
25-27 |
Director of Public Policy Samantha Slater attends
BBI Fuels Workshop in Sacramento, Calif. |
|
Oct. 26-27 |
CEO Rick Tolman attends Fertilizer Institute
Conference in Annapolis, Md.
|
More calendar information is available on the NCGA Leader Resource
Center, http://www.insidencga.com
© 2004 National Corn
Growers Association
|