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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:
- AgTrade Coalition, NCGA Encourage Negotiators to Push Forward in Talks
- U.S. Corn-Coalition Disappointed in Canadian Preliminary Ruling
- NCGA Urges Protection of Baseline for Safety Net Programs
- NCGA Names National Corn Yield Contest Winners
- NCGA, Ag Groups Call for Renewed Focus on Core Issues
- As WTO Gets Under Way, NCGA Agenda Aims for Market Access
- Homemaker Industries Rolls Out PLA-based Rugs, NCGA Notes
- USDA Revised U.S. Corn Exports, NCGA Notes
- NCGA Representatives Attend USGC Marketing Meeting
- NCGA Applauds Japan Lifting Ban on U.S. Beef
- NCGA Announces 2005 Recruiter Hall of Fame Class
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AgTrade Coalition, NCGA Encourage Negotiators to Push Forward in Talks
The NCGA as part of the AgTrade Coalition attending the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial in Hong Kong issued a statement today urging all negotiators to refocus discussions toward achieving progress in the three pillars of the agriculture negotiations. (More
On This Story)
U.S. Corn Coalition Disappointed in Canadian Preliminary Ruling
The NCGA as part of the U.S. Corn Coalition expressed extreme disappointment in a ruling yesterday by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) to issue preliminary duties on U.S. corn. The decision comes in response to allegations U.S. dumping and subsidizing of grain corn harms Canadian producers. (More
On This Story)
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 Sam Willett, NCGA senior director of public policy spoke with the Cochran Fellows Trade Policy Team about NCGA, the corn industry’s future and how NCGA represents corn growers in the policy process.
NCGA Names National Corn Yield Contest Winners
The National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) 40th National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC) once again showcased corn growers’ tremendous production capabilities, as all 27 of the national winners topped at least 232 bushels per acre. (More
On This Story)
NCGA, Ag Groups Call for Renewed Focus on Core Issues
NCGA, along with 13 other U.S. agriculture organizations, today called on World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiators to return their focus to the core issues and ensure progress during the talks in Hong Kong this week. (More
On This Story)
As WTO Gets Under Way, NCGA Agenda Aims for Market Access
As the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Hong Kong got under way this week, the NCGA is continuing its drive to secure market access for U.S. growers. (More
On This Story)
Homemaker Industries Rolls Out PLA-based Rugs, NCGA Notes
The use of polylactic acid (PLA) continues to rise, with more companies creating environmentally friendly products using this corn-based polymer, the National Corn Growers Association notes. Homemaker Industries, a throw rug manufacturer, has joined the growing list of companies seeking to create a distinct niche market with its corn-based rugs and satisfy an increasing demand by an American public for biobased products. (More
On This Story)
USDA revises U.S. corn exports, NCGA notes
The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast a drop in exports in its December World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), released last week, the NCGA notes. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Representatives Attend USGC Marketing Meeting
The NCGA welcomes the agreement met Sunday by Japan and the United States to reopen the Japanese market to U.S. beef after a two-year ban. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Applauds Japan Lifting Ban on U.S. Beef
The NCGA welcomes the agreement met Sunday by Japan and the United States to reopen the Japanese market to U.S. beef after a two-year ban. (More
On This Story)
NCGA Announces 2005 Recruiter Hall of Fame Class
The NCGA Grower Services Action Team has named three members to the Recruiter Hall of Fame. Pat Dumoulin of Hampshire, Ill., William “Polk” Glover of Obion, Tenn., and Merrill Grisham of Gaylord, Minn. will be inducted into the NCGA Recruiter Hall of Fame at Commodity Classic in February.( More
On This Story)
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AROUND THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
Michigan: The Corn Marketing Program of Michigan (CMPM) has open board positions. A board member is selected from each of the established districts. Of the nine districts, three have open positions for 2006. CMPM is looking for representatives from the following districts:
- District 1 – Allegan, Berrien, Cass, VanBuren
- District 4 – Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne
- District 8 – Bay, Gratiot, Midland, Saginaw
Those interested may contact the Michigan Corn office for a petition to apply for the board. The petition must be signed by 50 farmers within the applicant’s district and returned to the Michigan Corn office by January 9. All applicants must produce corn within their district. Two nominations for each district will be submitted to the governor. If two applicants for each district are not received by Jan. 9, nominations for the position will be secured during lunch at the Winter Corn and Soybean Research Meetings scheduled as follows:
Minnesota: As of Dec. 10, sports fans at the Target Center for Timberwolves and Lynx basketball games will get their beverages served up in clear plastic cups that come from corn, rather than petroleum. Concessions at these events will use an estimated 175,000 cups between now and September 2006. The Wolves are the first major professional sports team to make the switch over to renewable-based goods for their concessions. The Timberwolves touted the move as an environmentally sensitive measure that also reduces the use of a finite resource, oil. Minnetonka-based NatureWorks LLC, Among the major environmental benefits to the material are the use of less than half the volume of petroleum to make the material, compared to plastic, even accounting for the energy used to plant, fertilize and harvest the corn.
Nebraska:The Nebraska Corn Board presented awards to three Nebraskans during the Nebraska Ag Classic meeting in Kearney.
Receiving the annual Ag Achievement Award was Doug Robinson of Golden Harvest Seeds, Inc., based in Waterloo. Robinson was recognized for his ag industry leadership, and his support of numerous Nebraska Corn Board activities including the annual Corn Harvest Tour. The Nebraska Corn Board also presented two Elevator Manager Appreciation Awards. The recipients were Harold Kroeker of Kroeker Grain & Lumber Inc. in Henderson, and Merlin Schlote of Progressive Nutrition in Norfolk.
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KEY ISSUES
