IN THIS ISSUE:

• NCGA: HFCS Developments in Mexico Not So Sweet, Corn Exports Targeted
• NCGA: Use IRM to Protect Bt Technology
• Oil and MTBE Groups Attack Ethanol, Renewable Fuels Standard
• Corn Growers Excited as Ethanol Production Record Set
• NCGA President Looks Forward to Opportunities of 2002
• Big Victories for Big Rocks: NCGA's Year in Review
• NCGA's Best and Brightest To Attend Leadership Training
• Sierra Club, Others, Want Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rule Enforced
• NCGA's New Year's Resolutions

NCGA: HFCS Developments in Mexico Not So Sweet, Corn Exports Targeted
Under pressure to pass a new budget and revenue provision for the year, the Mexican Congress passed a bill that would place up to a 20 percent tax on soft drinks that contain sweeteners other than cane sugar. "The measure taxes High Fructose Corn Syrup out of the market, and severely hurts U.S. corn exports," said NCGA President Tim Hume. (More On This Story)

NCGA: Use IRM to Protect Bt Technology
Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, corn has proven to be an important technology to help the nation's corn growers control damaging insects and produce higher yields and better quality grain. To preserve the benefits of Bt corn technology for growers, the NCGA recommends the implementation of Insect Resistance Management (IRM) practices. (More On This Story)

Oil and MTBE Groups Attack Ethanol, Renewable Fuels Standard
The NCGA is expecting the new session of Congress will implement a nationwide renewable fuels standard (RFS). In 2001, NCGA's Ethanol Marketing Committee, the main force behind the Corn Growers' push for an RFS, witnessed a year filled with optimistic talk of such legislation. However, the group knew that the petroleum industry would fight the RFS every step of the way, and it looks like the battle is heating up.

In a recent letter to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-SD, and Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-MS., several oil industry representatives attacked ethanol and a renewable fuels standard. These organizations claim that implementing an RFS would adversely affect the economy, environment and fuel supply. The letter portrayed a mandated ethanol standard as being disruptive and ill conceived, and urged the Senators to oppose an ethanol standard. Those signing the letter include a group of refiners and MTBE producers. However, the American Petroleum Institute (API), which represents the major oil companies, did not sign the letter.

For more information on a Renewable Fuels Standard, and NCGA's efforts to promote the implementation of such legislation, log on the Leader Resource Center's ethanol section, or browse the public site for more general information. The public ethanol site is located here.

DID YOU KNOW??
www.ncga.com provides the "World of Corn" brochure online. Check out key corn facts and statistics about corn and corn production in the US.

Corn Growers Applaud New Ethanol Production Record
For the third month in a row, the ethanol industry has set an all-time monthly production record. "Ethanol is a growing industry," said John McClelland, NCGA's in-house expert on ethanol. "Production records indicate that demand is high and that our ethanol supply will readily expand to meet any increases in demand." The previous record, set in October 2001, was shattered in November as production reached 126,000 barrels of ethanol per day - that is a rate of 1.93 billion gallons annually. The production information is based on data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Renewable Fuels Association reported November's production was up almost 16 percent from the previous year when only 109,000 barrels of ethanol were produced per day in November of 2000. With record levels of production throughout the year, experts predict nearly 1.8 billion gallons of ethanol were produced in 2001.

A recent study released by the NCGA revealed that increasing the total gallons of renewable fuels contained in motor vehicle fuels from current levels to 4 percent by 2016 would decrease oil imports and reduce the U.S. trade deficit by $63.4 billion. It would also create 300,000 new American jobs, and increase U.S. household income by $71 billion. Of significant importance to corn growers the study revealed that if ethanol supplied 4 percent of the nation's fuel, corn prices would increase an average of 28 cents per bushel. Net farm income would also increase an average of $6.6 billion annually, resulting in reduced direct government payments to farmers by $7.8 billion through 2016.

Across the nation, 17 ethanol plants are under construction. The new refineries will potentially add more than 450 million gallons of ethanol production capacity.

For more information on NCGA's ethanol program, log onto the Leader Resource Center, or check out the public site here.

NCGA President Looks Forward to Opportunities of 2002
The NCGA has met - and exceeded -- many goals over the past year: passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in the House of Representatives, the successful promotion of ethanol to boost energy security and proving -- through sound science -- biotechnology presents great opportunities for higher yields and higher quality crops to farmers who need it and have determined there is a market for their harvested grain. But an organization is only as good as what it accomplishes in the present and NCGA President Tim Hume realizes this. "I'm pretty happy with what we've been able to do in 2001," he said, "but there is still more that needs to be done." (More On This Story)

Big Victories for Big Rocks: NCGA's Year in Review
What a year for the nation and the nation's corn growers. The NCGA is closing another successful year. Many of NCGA's "Big Rocks" (Ethanol, Trade, Research, Transportation, Farm Bill, and Biotechnology) have seen big victories over the last 12 months as corn growers around the country have joined together to make their voices heard on these matters. One of the stories that just never seemed to go away was the claim that Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn harmed Monarch butterflies. A Cornell report released more than two years ago stated the pollen of Bt corn affected the larvae of the butterflies and those who opposed biotechnology picked up the banner, using rumor and hearsay over the facts and sound science. (More On This Story)

NCGA's Best and Brightest To Attend Leadership Training
Current and future leaders of the NCGA will attend a leadership training conference Jan. 28-31 in Washington, D.C. The conference, sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection, provides training to growers who are currently state association presidents and those who are just beginning service on a state association board. (More On This Story)

DID YOU KNOW??
www.ncga.com provides an easy-to-use search engine to search the web site.

Looking for specific information? It's easy to find it online at www.ncga.com!

Sierra Club, Others, Want Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rule Enforced
Several environmental groups have filed suit against the federal government hoping to enforce the Energy Policy Act, a 1992 law that mandates the government to buy a certain percentage of alternative fuel vehicles. The suit was filed in federal court in San Francisco, Calif., against 18 federal agencies. The plaintiffs contend that the agencies failed to comply with the vehicle purchase requirement, which mandates that 75 percent of new purchases be of alternative fuel vehicles.

The purchase requirement was based on a desire to help wean the U.S. away from total dependence on foreign oil supplies. The plaintiffs claim that the agencies have failed to meet the law's requirement, and they expect to use the suit to compel agency compliance.

NCGA's New Year's Resolutions
People have bad habits. Whether it's eating a bit too much at the buffet or not being as active as you'd like (or not being active at all, as it were) there are always things we can improve on and the beginning of the new year is usually a good time to start with a clean slate. The NCGA is no different. While 2001 was filled with many successes for the 32,000-member organization, you can't rest on your laurels. The folks at NCGA recognize this and have made the following resolutions for 2002: (More On This Story)

NCGA THIS WEEK

• Jan. 8 NCGA's D.C. office staff will attend an out of the office mini-retreat.
• Jan. 10 NCGA Vice President of Public Policy Bruce Knight will attend the 13th Annual Joint Conference of North Carolina Soybean, Corn and Small Grain Associations

ST. LOUIS OFFICE

WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICE