Two business leaders from the People’s Republic of China visited the National Corn Growers Association’s St. Louis office yesterday to discuss the U.S. corn industry and NCGA’s role in working to create opportunities for corn farmers.
Robyn Allscheid, NCGA director of Research & Productivity, said the visitors were intrigued by NCGA’s focused mission of sustainably feeding and fueling a growing world in a way that is profitable for our nearly 40,000 dues-paying corn farmers nationwide as well as the 300,000 growers who contribute through corn checkoff programs.
Rong Zhang and Rui Li are touring America as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The program connects current and emerging leaders who travel to the U.S. for programs that reflect their professional interests and U.S. Foreign Policy Goals.
Zhang, manager Dalian Yigu Information Consulting Co., Ltd., and Li, an Associate Professor, Phytochemistry Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, are specifically looking at food safety and security in the U.S., Allscheid said.
“They were very interested in how farmers make independent planting decisions but also the role the market plays in determining corn prices,” Allscheid said. “Ethanol use is growing in China, so they were also interested in ethanol policy and NCGA’s role in growing the market for ethanol.”
While in St. Louis they also met with a farmer, AG Business Consultants, Bayer and the University of Missouri Extension.
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
