The AgTalks virtual town hall discussion continued today in conjunction with what would have been Minnesota IDEA FarmFest. This year’s in-person event was canceled, and sessions held virtually due to COVID-19.
National Corn Board Director and Minnesota farmer Harold Wolle served as a panelist during the town hall to discuss the future of agriculture, with a focus on trade, supply chains and global competitiveness. The town hall gave panelists the opportunity to provide updates from their industries and take questions from conversation participants, including local corn growers.
Wolle highlighted the importance of the ethanol industry, a market that takes more than 35 percent of the annual U.S. corn crop, and NCGA’s efforts to support the industry’s recovery and long-term success.
“In terms of global competitiveness, the expansion of ethanol exports is an opportunity to really move the demand needle for our industry. Global customers are increasingly turning to ethanol not only as an affordable source of renewable energy but one that delivers superior environmental and human health benefits over other sources of energy,” Wolle said. “When trade works, the world wins.”
Last week, NCGA President Kevin Ross joined the first AgTalks town hall, where he discussed the challenges 2020 has presented for U.S. corn farmers and shared NCGA’s recovery plans to help growers navigate immediate challenges in the short term and expand market access in the long term.
The AgTalks town hall series will help farmers learn and share their views with commodity association leaders at a time when most major in-person state agriculture events have been canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. Future events will focus on Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.