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April
1 , 2005 * Volume 12 * Number 12
NCGA's
Mission: To Create and Increase Opportunities
for Corn Growers
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 Members Invited to Participate in ProAct Field Trials
• NCGA Issues Action Alert Supporting Expected WRDA Legislation
that Includes Lock Modernization
• USDA Projects 2005 Corn Acreage to be Highest in 20 Years,
NCGA Notes
• NCGA Grower Joints USTR Chief Ag Negotiator in Farm Meetings
& Work Day in Nebraska
• USDA Announces Availability of $22.8 Million for Renewable
Energy Projects, Notes NCGA
• Ethanol Helping to Offset Record High Gasoline Prices, NCGA
Says
• NCGA Action Teams Hold Spring Meetings in New Orleans
• Argonne Study: Ethanol Generates More Energy than it Takes
to Produce
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NCGA
Members Invited to Participate in ProAct Field Trials
NCGA
members are invited to participate in a field demonstration program
this year designed to document corn yield responses to foliar applications
of ProAct Plant Health Regulator, a new product from Eden Bioscience
Corp. (More
On This Story)
NCGA
Issues Action Alert Supporting Expected WRDA Legislation that Includes
Lock Modernization
Pending the expected introduction by Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) of the Water
Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2005 that includes lock modernization,
the NCGA today sent out an action alert to its grower members encouraging
them to send letters to their senators supporting this bill. (More
On This Story)
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Public Policy Action Team member David Gillen met with Sen.
John Thune (R-SD) in the South Dakota Corn Growers Association
offices last week to discuss the RFS and energy legislation.
Gillen, who is SDCGA president, said it’s critical to understand
how important the RFS is both nationally and on a state level.
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USDA
Projects 2005 Corn Acreage to be Highest in 20 Years, NCGA Notes
Corn
producers intend to plant 81.4 million acres of corn for all purposes
in 2005, up 1 percent from 2004 and 4 percent above 2003, according
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s March 31 Prospective
Plantings report. (More
On This Story)
NCGA
Grower Joins USTR Chief Ag Negotiator in Farm Meetings & Work
Day in Nebraska
Todd
Wojtalewicz, a member of the NCGA Joint Trade Policy A-Team, joined
Ambassador Allen F. Johnson, the U.S. Trade Representative’s
(USTR) chief agriculture negotiator on an agriculture workday
and meeting Tuesday near Scottsbluff, Neb. (More
On This Story)
USDA
Announces Availability of $22.8 Million for Renewable Energy Projects,
Notes NCGA
In
an effort to focus on energy independence and boost rural economic
activity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced
this week the availability of $22.8 million for renewable energy
programs and energy efficiency projects for agriculture producers
and rural small businesses. (More
On This Story)
Ethanol
Helping to Offset Record High Gasoline Prices, NCGA Says
As
the average retail price of gasoline hit a record $2.15 per gallon
Monday, the NCGA reminded motorists that domestically produced
ethanol is helping to offset soaring fuel prices. (More
On This Story)
NCGA
Action Teams Hold Spring Meetings in New Orleans
Members
of the NCGA Ethanol Committee and Research and Business Development
Action Team got an up-close look at a major grain export facility
last week in New Orleans. One of the group’s objectives
was to learn more about challenges and opportunities surrounding
the export of ethanol coproducts. (More
On This Story)
Argonne
Study: Ethanol Generates More Energy than it takes to Produce
A
recent study by Argonne National Laboratory found that ethanol
generates 35 percent more energy than it takes to produce, reinforcing
the fact that production of the corn-based fuel yields a net energy
gain. (More
On This Story)
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AROUND
THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
KANSAS:
A bill that would repeal a requirement to label
fuel containing ethanol is on its way to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius,
who is expected to sign it. Senate Bill 56, passed earlier
by the Senate, received the approval of the Kansas House in
a 110-13 vote this week. The Kansas Corn Growers Association
(KCGA) was an active supporter of the bill.
IOWA:
The
Des Moines metro average price for regular unleaded hit $2.16
on Wednesday, according to the American Automobile Association.
Meanwhile, the price of E10, a blend with 10% ethanol, averaged
$2.03, a 13-cent savings per gallon. Consumers who drive flexible
fuel vehicles can save even more if they have access to E85.
The state average price for E85 has been running about $1.73,
a 43-cent savings per gallon.
SOUTH
DAKOTA:
South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds was presented with an E85-fueled
Chevrolet Avalanche by General Motors today, part of a campaign
by GM and the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition to promote
the use of ethanol and to increase the awareness of flexible
fuel vehicles and E85. The event, held at the Sioux Empire
Fairgrounds, was sponsored by the American Coalition for Ethanol,
the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, and the South Dakota
Ethanol Producers.
MINNESOTA:
Twelve Minnesota auto dealers have signed up for the Preferred
MN E85 Dealer Contest, a program designed to create higher
visibility for vehicles that run on E85 - the cleaner-burning
85-percent ethanol blended fuel. The contest, which runs from
March 1 through the end of May, offers incentives to sales
staff and sales managers, and appears to have increased sales
for the dealers involved in just the first four weeks.
ILLINOIS:
Springfield, Ill., motorists with compatible
vehicles finally will have the choice of filling their tanks
with E85 next week when Qik-n-EZ begins phasing in the high-ethanol
fuel at its local outlets, starting at 2800 Peoria Road. The
stores will join roughly 20 other stations across the state
in offering the alternative fuel, which sells for significantly
less per gallon than regular unleaded.
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Of
Special Interest:
Next
Week:
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Apr. 4 - 5 |
April 4-5 – NCGA President Gerald Tumbleson will attend the
Texas Corn Producers Board Meeting in Lubbock, Texas. |
| Apr.
5 |
NCGA’s
Vice President of Research Dr. Richard Glass and Manager of Research
& Business Development Nathan Field will attend a Soluble Blocks
Meeting in Morris, Minn. |
| Apr.
8 |
NCGA’s
Research & Business Development Action Team member Bart Schott,
Vice President of Research Dr. Richard Glass and Manager of Research
& Business Development Nathan Field attend Soluble Blocks Meeting
at Kansas State University, Kan. |
More calendar information
is available on the NCGA Leader Resource Center, http://www.insidencga.com
© 2005 National
Corn Growers Association
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