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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Mimi Ricketts, NCGA, 636-733-9004, Ext. 112
November 4, 2004
National
Corn Growers Association Unites with Industry to Improve Ethanol Production
Efficiencies
(ST. LOUIS) November
4, 2004 – The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has entered
a licensing agreement with Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a DuPont
subsidiary, that will allow NCGA to use Pioneer’s high total fermentable
(HTF) near infrared (NIR) rapid assay technology. NCGA plans to utilize
the Pioneer technology and other industry resources to conduct research
that will eventually lead to an industry-wide standard for measuring
the fermentation characteristics and ethanol yield potential of corn.
NCGA President Leon
Corzine said a single industry standard that measures the ethanol yield
potential of corn grown from all types of seed is important to corn
growers. Therefore, NCGA is working with interested seed companies to
involve them in the development of the final calibration product.
“We foresee
a situation where two elevators just a few miles apart might be using
different calibration systems,” Corzine said. “And because
of those two different systems, the same bushel of corn receives two
different measurements. One standardized platform would be a key step
toward making the process more consistent for farmers, while at the
same time optimizing the efficiency of ethanol plants. We see a need
for uniformity in this process.”
Corzine said NCGA
is uniquely situated to serve as a catalyst for establishing a standardized
calibration tool. “NCGA is in a position to help ensure growers,
ethanol producers and seed companies are all on the same page when it
comes to quantifying the ethanol yield potential of corn,” he
said. “As more corn is used for ethanol each year, this is an
issue that will certainly affect corn producers in the future, and it
just makes sense that NCGA serves as the lead entity in establishing
a standard.”
Under the agreement,
Pioneer will provide NCGA a royalty-free license for North America to
the company’s HTF calibration and related data. NCGA will coordinate
all activities related to establishing a single grain assay standard
that is accurate and fair for corn growers and the ethanol industry.
The technology, which quickly quantifies the ethanol yield potential
of corn grain in the dry-grind process, will allow corn growers to provide
grain that could improve the efficiency of ethanol plants and also will
allow the seed industry access to a single standardized calibration.
“We at Pioneer
believe a standard calibration will contribute to the growth of the
dry-grind ethanol industry as it moves into its next stage,” said
Pat Hilliard, account manager – ethanol industry, Pioneer. “This
industry’s development holds great benefits for U.S. corn growers
by expanding the marketplace for their products. Pioneer is very excited
about working with NCGA to provide new technology to the industry.”
NCGA, which signed
a letter of intent with Pioneer in June, also will oversee relationships
with research and testing laboratories and will establish a technical
oversight committee to review all calibration upgrades.
Once the standard
calibration product is established by NCGA and its industry partners,
dry-grind ethanol plants would be able to license it from NCGA for measurement
of grain with HTF technology. This measurement would allow ethanol plants
to source grain with a higher potential ethanol yield, improving the
efficiency and profitability of these plants. Grain elevators would
also be able to license the calibration from NCGA, allowing the elevator
to source grain that has potential to provide improved ethanol yield
to the ethanol plants those elevators serve.
“Our intent
is to improve the profitability and efficiency of corn growers, the
seed industry and ethanol producers by accelerating the acceptance of
a standard that is accurate and fair,” Corzine said. “This
initiative is a positive step forward for both U.S. corn growers and
the ethanol industry.”
# # #
The National Corn
Growers Association’s mission is to create and increase opportunities
for corn growers. NCGA represents nearly 33,000 members, 26 affiliated
state corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers
who contribute to state checkoff programs. For more information on NCGA,
log on to www.ncga.com
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