USDA Announces Additional ACRE Payments
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently announced the states that met the revenue triggers allowing farmers to earn Average Crop Revenue Election payments for the 2010 harvest. In addition to the previously announced crops of wheat barley and oats, several states also reached the revenue trigger for planted acres of corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, peanuts, lentils, dry peas and upland cotton.
"The ACRE program continues to be an important part of any farm's risk management plan," NCGA President Bart Schott said. "Fortunately, many of our producers signed up for the ACRE program in 2009 and will now receive revenue payments after a difficult growing season for corn."
NCGA was a leading advocate for the ACRE Program which was adopted as part of the 2008 farm bill. The ACRE program provides a new, optional safety net for farmers to mitigate the financial impact of adverse weather conditions and declining prices. ACRE will deliver payments to producers only when they face a real loss in crop revenue. There are currently more than 136,000 farms enrolled and added another million acres this past June. Participating farms in the ACRE program will be enrolled until 2012.
To see a complete list of states that met the revenue triggers for corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, peanuts, lentils, dry peas and upland cotton, click here.
Membership Sets Records, Creates Change
The National Corn Growers Association reached a new membership record in 2010 with rolls listing 36,216 growers at the end of August. The previous record of 36,088 was set in August 2009.
"It is inspiring that so many growers want to personally support our programs and activities," said NCGA President Bart Schott, a grower from Kulm, N.D. "Increased grower involvement demonstrates the value members believe NCGA staff and grower leaders provide our industry."
The NCGA membership program, sponsored by Syngenta, offers many benefits, including leadership opportunities, academic scholarships and discounts. Members play an active role in organizational leadership by shaping the direction of activities and influencing public policy that affects all farmers.
Also this year, a record number of growers entered the National Corn Yield Contest, which requires NCGA membership. An initial count indicates submission of approximately 7,119 entries, roughly 160 above last year's number.
In addition to representing individual members, NCGA works as a federation of the many state-level grower associations and checkoff boards. More than 300,000 growers contribute to state and national organizations through corn checkoff funds in their states.
During this election season, the amount of influence asserted by large interest groups in government becomes obvious through the barrage of advertisements and media messaging. To ensure that our legislators continue to value the important role corn farmers play in our society, growers must work together through NCGA and state associations that leverage the industry's collective strength. Together, growers voices are magnified in Washington to ensure agricultural interests are not casually pushed to the wayside.
Click here for more information on membership.
Agricultural Energy Symposium Promotes Understanding and Sound Science
On Thursday, November 4, the National Corn Growers Association presents the 2010 Agricultural Energy Symposium in Washington. This one-day briefing event for Washington insiders, Congressional Staff and policymakers, will provide an up-close and in-depth look at key bioenergy and biofuels sustainability issues, helping bridge the gap between research and policy on such hot topics as land use change, carbon neutrality, life cycle analysis and biomass sources.
"This symposium will provide NCGA with the chance to reach a broad group of individuals with up to date and factual information on key issues and to present the science that underscores this" said NCGA President Bart Schott. "It is of vital importance that we work to help a variety of stakeholders, including regulators, legislators, the media and the general public, understand not only our stance as corn growers on major issues affecting our industry, but also why it is imperative to base policy on sound science and a transparent process. If we passively wait assuming that the facts will gain attention without active promotion, someone else will redefine the issue, and often, in a way that will be harmful to U.S. agriculture."
The four panels will feature experts from government, industry and academia including representatives from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's office and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. Additionally, Avoided Deforestation Partners Washington Director Glenn Hurowitz will serve as the keynote speaker during lunch.
For the whole story, click here.
As Harvest Charges Ahead, Growers Look Forward
In this edition of Harvest Happenings, the podcast series providing on-the-ground coverage of harvest 2010, Off the Cob speaks with Corn Board member Pam Johnson, a farmer in Floyd, Iowa. With corn harvest complete, Johnson speaks about harvest progress in Iowa, yields and the growing importance of agriculture on the world stage.
Having already completed harvest, Johnson provides insight into the story behind falling yield projections and looks at possibilities for 2011.
"I think that with growers wrapping up early this year, growers will have a chance to make many improvements to their farms that will be beneficial for years to come," said Johnson. "This summer clearly demonstrated the importance of having well-drained farms, so there will be many things that farmers may use this extra time to do."
Throughout the Corn Belt, harvest progress is moving along rapidly. U.S. Department of Agriculture reports indicate that 83 percent of the corn crop was harvested as of Sunday, while in 2009 only 20 percent of the crop was in at that time.
For the whole story, click here.
To listen to Johnson's full interview,click here.
For the full USDA Crop Progress report, click here.
Strengthening Relationships with India
