NCGA
Will Hold Annual Corn Congress in Washington, D.C., Next Week (7-8-05)
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) will
hold its annual Corn Congress in Washington, D.C., July 13-14. NCGA
members and staff will meet to discuss key topics for growers and
set agendas for the upcoming year.
“I always view this as an important meeting,
when we’re able to get our delegation together,” said
Leon Corzine, NCGA president. “The delegation is the basis
of our grower efforts and everything we do at NCGA.”
Corn Congress is coming at an opportune time for
NCGA. During the week of the meeting, Congress is expected to hold
its conference on the energy bill, which contains the 8-billion-gallon
Renewable Fuels Standard. The House will begin debating the Central
American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) sometime
next week. And, the Water and Resources Development Act (WRDA) is
still a hot issue among congressmen.
“We have our grower-leaders in Washington
at a crucial time. We have several issues coming together that we
need to talk to our representatives about,” Corzine said.
“We need to give a strong message to push the energy bill,
CAFTA-DR and WRDA over the goal line.
“It is a tremendous opportunity for us and
we must grab it.”
Corzine emphasized that growers need to contact
their congressmen to stress the importance of the energy bill, CAFTA-DR
and WRDA, especially during a week when growers will be at the Capitol.
“Even if you have contacted your congressman,
contact them again,” Corzine said. “These efforts reinforce
the importance of grassroots.”