IN THIS ISSUE:

• Monsanto Gives NCGA Commitment on Bt Rootworm Corn
• Corn Growers Reply to California Lawsuit
• Why TPA is Important to Nation's Corn Growersv
• NCGA CEO Cites Corn Grower Successes at Field Day
• Checkoff Activities in Full Swing for 3 NCGA Grower States
• NCGA Sees TMDL Delay as Step in the Right Direction
• Bush Signs Bill Authorizing $5.5 Billion in Economic Assistance; Farmers to Receive Funds in September
• NCGA Hosts Italian Ag Specialist, Ethanol Expert
• Federal Appeals Court Upholds Agency Ruling Against Anhydrous PipelineOperator
• Checkoff Dollars Help NCGA Research Higher-Value Products
• It's Time to Begin Planning for the 2001/2002 NCGA Action Team Appointments!
• Colorado Corn Growers Association Seeks New CEO
• NCGA This Week

Monsanto Gives NCGA Commitment on Bt Rootworm Corn

Tim Hume, incoming NCGA President and corn grower from Walsh, Colo. and Rick Tolman, NCGA Executive Vice President and CEO, have received a pledge from high-level officials at Monsanto that the company would not release its new Bt rootworm hybrids to farmers until the rootworm technology is granted full approval by the Japanese regulatory system. The commitment, which follows the NCGA position on biotechnology releases that maintain the integrity of the U.S. corn crop, came during meetings this week.

Corn Growers Reply to California Lawsuit

The National Corn Grower Association (NCGA) leaders are disappointed by California's lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The lawsuit, filed Friday afternoon in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, calls on the agency to put aside rules requiring ethanol to be added to California's gasoline to meet the standards of the 1990 Clean Air Act. For details on this story, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081301a.htm.

Why TPA is Important to Nation's Corn Growers

This is the second article in a four-part series on the importance of Trade Promotion Authority to corn growers and U.S. agriculture as a whole. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) urges corn growers to voice their support of TPA to their elected officials during the Congressional recess. For more information on this story, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081501.htm.

NCGA CEO Cites Corn Grower Successes at Field Day

The Southwest Ohio Corn Growers Association held their annual Field Day Wednesday at the Fayette County Farm in Washington, Ohio. The Southwest Ohio Corn Growers consist of nine counties in southwest Ohio who organized to promote the interests of corn growers in that region. National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) CEO and Executive Vice President Rick Tolman was on-hand to represent NCGA and to speak at the event. Tolman said it was a great opportunity for both Ohio corn growers and NCGA. For more details, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081601.htm.

Checkoff Activities in Full Swing for 3 NCGA Grower States

In the corn checkoff community, times they are a-changing...at least in Maryland, Nebraska and Indiana. Recognizing the opportunities to improve profit potential for corn and corn products through grower-funded research and market-development projects, corn farmers are choosing to initiate new checkoff funds and to continue existing programs. For details, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081401.htm.

DID YOU KNOW??
http://www.ncga.com offers a comprehensive Legislative Action Center. Contact your elected state and national representatives online and track key legislation.

NCGA Sees TMDL Delay as Step in the Right Direction

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) late last week proposed a delay in the implementation of the Total Maximum Daily Load Regulation (TMDL). The EPA is seeking to delay the implementation of the regulation an additional 18 months. For more details, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081301b.htm.

Bush Signs Bill Authorizing $5.5 Billion in Economic Assistance; Farmers to Receive Funds in September

With four Texas-based NCGA growers looking on, President Bush Tuesday signed H.R. 2213, providing farmers with $5.5 billion in FY 2001 economic aid. Bush signed the bill at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, ensuring that producers will receive the funds in September. For more information, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081401a.htm.

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Agency Ruling Against Anhydrous Pipeline Operator

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling by a federal agency that found a pipeline operator charged excessive rates to transport anhydrous ammonia shipments from Louisiana to the Midwest. Surface Transportation Board Chairman Linda Morgan announced recently that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the Board's decision disallowing certain rate increases for the transportation of anhydrous ammonia by Koch Pipeline Co. On May 9, 2000, the Board issued a decision indicating that it determined that Koch charged unreasonable rates increases for the anhydrous ammonia it shipped for CF Industries and Farmland Industries, Inc. The Board then ordered Koch to cut its rate back to the pre-increase level, and to repay the excessively-charged rates back to CF and Farmland. Koch responded by filing a suit to overturn the Board's decision. The appeals court agreed with the Board that Koch exercised market dominance over most of the movements at issue, and it concurred that the Board's review of the reasonableness of Koch's rates was appropriate. Federal law provides the Surface Transportation Board with the authority to regulate the rates charged by operators for the pipeline transportation of commodities other than water, oil or energy-related gases.

Checkoff Dollars Help NCGA Research Higher-Value Products

What do extra-terrestrial life, deep-sea creatures and corn have in common? A George Lucas movie that takes place in the Midwest? An alien fish with a taste for corn chips? All good answers (wrong as they may be), but the correct answer is bacteria. For more information, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081701a.htm.

Looking for Volunteers for2001/2002 NCGA Action Team Appointments!

NCGA is contacting all current NCGA Action Team members asking if they would like to continue their service into 2001/2002, if selected. Letters are also being sent to state organizations offices to obtain applications from persons interested in future service on a Team.

Timeline:

• September 7--Applications are due into Kathy at the NCGA/St. Louis office
• September 24 (week of)--Team appointments by 2001/2002 president (Tim Hume)
• October 1 (week of)--Announcement of teams and notification to all applicants.

Colorado Corn Growers Association Seeks New CEO

The Colorado Corn Growers Association and the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee are seeking a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead them in a quest for long-term financial health for their grower members, and to be a spokesperson for the constituency of producers in Colorado. For information on this story, go to http://www.ncga.com/news/notd/2001/august/081301.htm.

NCGA THIS WEEK

• Aug. 3-Sept. 6 Congressional Recess
• Aug. 20 NCGA Director of Production and Stewardship Paul Bertels is guiding a farm tour for congressional staff and other interested visitors for the St. Louis Agri-Business Club (SLABC). The tour will be hosted by NCGA member Greg Guenther at his farm in Belleville, Ill.
• Aug. 21 The SLABC congressional staff tour continutes with Bertels coordinating a barge tour for the SLABC from Alton, Ill. to St. Louis.
• Aug. 22 The SLABC congressional tour ends with a presentation on the National Ethanol Pilot Plant,conducted at the Downtown Holidy Inn in St. Louis.
• Aug. 22-26 NCGA Director of Industry Relations Tom Slunecka, NCGA Director of Communications Stewart Reeve and NCGA Membership Services Manager Byron Keelin will be attending the Syngenta Crop Protection Leadership Development Program in Greensboro, NC. NCGA President Lee Klein, NCGA President-Elect Tim Hume and NCGA CEO and Executive Vice President Rick Tolman will arrive on Aug. 23.

ST. LOUIS OFFICE

WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICE