Corn Growers Oppose Spring Rise on the Missouri River

NCGA this week re-emphasized its opposition to proposed changes in the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Master Manual that would harm
agriculture because of reduced navigation and the potential for spring
rises. The Corps is considering changes to its operation of dams on the
lower portion of the river to raise the water level in the spring and lower
it during the summer. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and environmental
activists contend this will protect birds and fish that have been listed as
endangered or threatened. NCGA recognizes the recreation and environmental
value of the river and will work with others to maintain and enhance
recreational and environmental benefits. However, NCGA wants these decisions
to be based on science, not politics. And to date, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has failed to produce the scientific evidence that
justifies changing the Missouri Master Manual. The NCGA continues to support
the management of the Missouri River that places the highest priority on
economic uses of the river such as flood control for farm land, navigation,
irrigation and power generation. Keeping the Missouri River navigable
provides competition to rail rates and keeps and maintains farmland value. A
spring rise could actually threaten another endangered species: farmers and
the communities they support.

NCGA Founder Walter Goeppinger Died April 17

NCGA founder Walter Goeppinger died Tuesday, April 17, of heart failure at
an Ames, Iowa, retirement center. He was 89. Mr. Goeppinger established the
NCGA in 1957 and was president until 1973. "As a corn farmer, you made a
wise decision to join NCGA," Goeppinger told new members in the 1950s.
"Remember in our role of planning future markets for your corn, we need you
and all other farmers behind us." In Mr. Goeppinger's eyes, corn was the big
crop. Yet in the 1950s, no group focused on corn alone. Since other
single-commodity associations had been successful in securing markets, he
felt a group reflecting just corn grower interests could be effective, too.
But the organization had to be different than the others. Mr. Goeppinger
wanted NCGA to be a self-help association for farmers, handlers and
processors; a group that would further the use of corn through research,
market development and promotion. That same vision holds true today in
NCGA's mission: To create and increase opportunities for corn growers in a
changing world. Mr. Goeppinger is survived by his wife, Margaret, two sons,
four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Personal condolences may be
sent to Mrs. Goeppinger and family at 1025 Tama St., Boone, IA 50036.
Harkin Letter Seeks Relief for U.S. Corn Gluten Industry
In an April 17 letter to President Bush, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) takes up the
cause of corn growers-again. His message to the administration echoes what
NCGA has been saying on this issue: That U.S.-imposed quotas on vital wheat
gluten imports have triggered retaliation by the European Union on our corn
gluten exports. That retaliation has taken the form of duties that have cost
American producers about $2.7 million since they were enacted in 1998.
"There is substantial evidence that the lower prices for exported corn
gluten feed are also being reflected in lower prices in the U.S. domestic
market," Harkin wrote. "Naturally, these lower prices eventually filter back
to the farm level." Harkin's letter was prompted by an impending Bush
administration decision on whether to extend the U.S. wheat gluten quotas.
It's an important issue because U.S. corn gluten exports to the EU total
more than $400 million annually, representing more than half of our total
export market. Harkin concluded by noting that "a solution can be found that
will promote the survival of the U.S. vital wheat gluten industry without
pitting the interests of one part of U.S. agriculture against another. . .."

NCGA Helps Growers, States With Livestock, Value-Added Needs

The 2001 World of Corn, NCGA's corn almanac, says livestock continues to
lead the way as the largest user of U.S.-grown corn, consuming 80 percent of
the nearly 10 billion bushel corn crop in 2000. To assist growers and states
better serve that leading corn customer, Tracy Snider has joined the NCGA as
the manager, livestock information and programs. Snider, who has a degree in
animal science with a minor in equine science from Truman State University,
says her position will have three key focus areas:

• Provide Value-added expertise, taking corn from
  being a commodity and providing more profitability opportunities to the
  growers through quality traits, processing and intellectual property, as
  determined by the Customer & Business Development Action Team;
• Assist state associations in developing value-added,
  or for those who have value-added, helping them ascertain where they are in
  the industry and where they want to be.
• Act as an information source for the states on basic
  livestock nutrition questions and applications of different corn quality
  traits to those applications for livestock feed;

"I came to NCGA because the organization works for the benefit of farmer-growers, and that is a mainstay of my life -- to ensure that there is a future for agriculture within the U.S.," she said. Snider, a native of southwest Missouri, most recently worked for Diamond V Yeast Culture, where she sold yeast culture to livestock feed manufacturers. Her love for animals extends beyond her job -- she also raises Quarter Horses for show.

New Manager Brings Membership Expertise to NCGA

Byron "Butch" Keelin joined the NCGA April 2 as manager of membership
relations services, and he brings with him four years of experience with an
association that, while not agriculturally oriented, had membership issues
similar to the NCGA's. "As manager of membership relations services, my job
is to work with the NCGA leadership program, and also with the state
associations to develop recruitment and retention programs for their
members," says Keelin. "And that's where I bring that four-plus years of
experience in membership. I'll work, to develop more precise, more effective
membership recruitment and retention programs, spread the good news about
what NCGA does to the state associations and help them filter that down to
their members." Keelin says joining the NCGA staff is a unique opportunity.
"It's a little different from my previous association, but it's also similar
in that you join both the state and national associations at the same time,
the age of the membership is essentially the same and the issues were
similar. At both associations, successes in Washington and at the state
level directly benefit the members." A native of the St. Louis area, Keelin
joined the NCGA from the American Optometric Association where he was
membership relations coordinator/practice opportunities coordinator. He
holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from Marquette University in
Milwaukee.

Corn Board Endorses Counter-Cyclical Proposal; House Ag Testimony April 25

The Corn Board last week instructed staff to include a counter-cyclical
income support proposal component in NCGA's Farm Bill testimony, which will
be presented to the House Ag Committee on April 25. The proposal aims to
provide growers financial assistance when it is needed and promote policy
that is less trade or planting distorting. The framework for the development
of such a policy was promulgated by Corn Congress during the 2001 Commodity
Classic in San Antonio, Texas. Corn Congress required that any such program
adhere to the following principles: (1) works with production flexibility
contract payments; (2) establishes a target income for corn and other
individual commodities that is increased annually; (3) establishes
individual eligibility base on more recent production history; (4) replaces
the market assistance loan program with a recourse loan; and (5) maintains
the positive market clearing functions of the current marketing loan
program.

Growers Profit from Participation in Water Quality Forums

Growers in Wisconsin and Ohio participated in a recent series of water
quality forums held in their respective states. The meetings-organized by
NCGA and ASA-brought grower leaders representing both organizations into
contact with the state government agencies responsible for ensuring the
attainment of water quality standards. Specifically, the forums examined
how Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) will be employed as a mechanism for
standard attainment. Additionally, some growers met with leaders of various
watershed coalitions. These exchanges are invaluable because it provides
stakeholders such as growers with a chance to take a cooperative,
non-regulatory approach to TMDL implementation decisions. In other words, by
becoming part of the process, growers can propose water quality solutions
that are "good for the farmer" and "good for the environment"; a proposition
that is far superior to government-directed, "forced-fed" regulations. A
USDA/U.S. EPA grant underwrote the forums.

NCGA Confers with White House on Ethanol

Meeting with a senior White House advisor this week , NCGA extolled the
important role ethanol plays in energy and agricultural policy.
Specifically, NCGA and several other groups convened at 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue to provide input supporting efforts to make renewable energy sources
(such as ethanol) a component of national energy policy. NCGA also took the
opportunity to again counsel the White House against granting a waiver to
California from the RFG oxygenate standard, a position on which NCGA has
been vocal and consistent for a long time. On a related note, corn growers
are encouraged to keep the letters and phone calls rolling into the White
House in opposition to the California waiver. One USDA source reports
feeling like he was being "hit by telemarketers at dinner time" in reference
to all of the ethanol calls coming to his phone.

Fred Yoder Shares NCGA's Viewpoints on Biotech North of the Border NCGA

Biotechnology Working Group Chair Fred Yoder, Corn Board member from Plain City, Ohio, addressed the Canada Grains Council recently on "Biotechnology in U.S. Corn: Lessons Learned from StarLink." Among the key points Yoder made:

• On its own merits, biotechnology offers great promise and opportunity for corn producers in the United States. NCGA believes in a scientific analysis of biotech and its merits and safety. So far, it passes those tests.
• But customer preference will dictate what crops growers will plant. There must be a market for the products we produce. No matter how good a product is, if our customers do not want it, we will not grow it.
• NCGA will be part of the solution to this problem and is working to be a catalyst to assure information, tolerances and systems that delivers to customers the corn with the characteristics they want.
• NCGA implemented an aggressive "Know Before You Grow" campaign, to make sure farmers have the best information on approvals and markets and market acceptance before they purchase seed and put it in the ground. They then can weigh the pros and cons for their enterprises.
• NCGA is active in the campaigns to keep StarLink in appropriate channels. It recently disseminated information asking its members to ask for assurances from their seed dealers that the seed they buy has been tested and is free from Cry9C.

NCGA Will Lead Off on Ethanol Testimony Next Week

Corn growers will set the table for the ethanol issue on Capitol Hill next
week when NCGA Chairman Lynn Jensen testifies before the House Agriculture
Committee Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and
Research, chaired by Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK). Due in part to NCGA's activism
on ethanol, the association has been offered the opportunity to be one of
the first panels of groups presenting testimony on April 25, the day the
subcommittee holds its hearing. One benefit of being the leadoff group is
that NCGA can - in a sense - set the terms of the ethanol debate before the
other groups (e.g., petroleum industry) can do so.

NCGA Representatives Attend Contentious Trade Talks in Argentina

NCGA President-elect Tim Hume and Susan Keith, Senior Director of Public
Policy, joined other agricultural groups for an assessment of hemispheric
trading issues during the recent Free Trade Area of the Americas, Americas
Business Forum. Held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Forum brought together
agriculture and trade-related groups for an agricultural workshop on trade
negotiations. In general, countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Colombia
insisted on reforms to U.S. domestic agricultural subsidies as a condition
to reducing their tariffs on U.S. commodities. "We did not make all the
progress on market access that we had hoped to achieve," Hume said, "but we
came away with a better understanding of the concerns of our neighbors to
the south. Trade negotiations typically take time." One positive
development, however, was achieved, and that involved U.S. representatives'
securing support for language that supports trade of biotechnology products.

NCGA Corn Board Positions Open

Apply today, and help strengthen the future of the NCGA through service on
the NCGA Corn Board. Who can apply? Anyone who is a corn producer (owner,
manager or operator), and is a member of NCGA, and a checkoff contributor,
if applicable. Application materials have been mailed to all NCGA Corn
Congress Delegates and Alternates, as well as all State Association and
Checkoff Board offices. The deadline for receipt of applications is
close-of-business on Friday, June 1, 2001. NCGA Nominating Committee members
Lynn Jensen (chairman), along with John Adams, Cal Dalton, Brian Peterson
and Ray Schaub welcome your application, and look forward to hearing from
you! If you would like a set of application materials mailed, faxed to
e-mailed to you, please contact Kathy Baker at the NCGA St. Louis office,
636-733-9004, ext 111, or e-mail at baker@ncga.com.

ST. LOUIS OFFICE

WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICE