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Friday, May 27, 2011

Write Congress about Flex-Fuel Vehicles, Ethanol Tax Policy 

 

Please help us grow marketing opportunities for U.S. corn by ensuring your federal lawmakers support two bills before Congress. In the Senate, the Domestic Energy Promotion Act of 2011 would transition and modify the ethanol blender's credit and improve upon current tax credits for the installation of blender pumps and ethanol fueling infrastructure.  Over in the House of Representatives, the Open Fuel Standard Act of 2011 would allow market access by increasing the number of flex-fuel vehicles produced and sold in the United States. 

 

What can you do? Click here to visit our Legislative Action Center and check whether your representative and senators are co-sponsoring either of these bills. If they are not, send them an email encouraging them to do so.

 

About Us

Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) represents approximately 35,000 dues-paying corn growers and the interests of more than 300,000 farmers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its 48 affiliated state associations and checkoff organizations work together to help protect and advance corn growers' interests.
 
 
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NCGA Testifies in Support of Pending Panama Trade Promotion Agreement before Senate Finance Committee

 

Garry Testifies before Senate Finance Committee 5-25-11National Corn Growers Association First Vice President Garry Niemeyer, a farmer from Auburn, Ill., testified before the Senate Finance Committee this Wednesday during a hearing to review the pending Trade Promotion Agreement with Panama. The hearing focused on the impact and advantages that agreement would have for the United States.

 

"The Panama Trade Promotion Agreement will establish a 298,700-ton duty-free preferential tariff rate quota for corn with an elimination of the over-quota tariff of 40 percent in the next 15 years," Niemeyer said. "This is the certainty growers need to ensure robust, reliable export markets."

 

For the whole story, click here. 

 

As Deadline Approaches, NCGA Encourages Growers to Consider ACRE Program

 

Wednesday, June 1 is the signup deadline for the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program, and NCGA once again urges growers to review the program and determine if it make sense for their operation. Numerous resources are available to help farmers make the right decision.

 

"As farmers, we understand how important it is to carefully evaluate our risk management options," said NCGA Public Policy Action Team Chair Anthony Bush. "No single option fits every operation; therefore, it is important for farmers to educate themselves on a wide array of programs and evaluate their potential relevance." 

 

For the whole story, click here. 

 

NCGA, Others Push for Free Trade Agreements

 

At a news conference earlier this week in Washington, NCGA and several other organizations representing family farmers and ranchers urged Congress to pass the pending free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama. Failure to pass the FTAs will place U.S. producers at a competitive disadvantage and impede the growth of agricultural exports, one of the few areas in which the United States enjoys a trade surplus.

 

Garry Niemeyer, a corn grower from Auburn, Ill., represented NCGA at the event. He currently serves as the organization's first vice-president.

 

"U.S. corn producers stand ready to develop and provide corn products to meet the demands of modern global consumption," Niemeyer said. "I urge Congress to work swiftly to pass the pending Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama."

 

For the whole story, click here. 

 

Planting Nears Completion for Many States; Challenges Remain for a Few

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported this week that 79 percent of the nation's 2011 corn crop has been planted, as growers are working hard to catch up. The percentage of acres planted now falls just 8 percentage points below the five-year average. In some of the major corn states, such as Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri, planting has surpassed the five-year average mark, and growers in Iowa are virtually finished planting their prospective 13.9 million acres.

 

"Most of the corn has been planted and is starting to emerge," Dick Gallagher, a grower in Washington County, Iowa, said last week. "It's coming up a bit yellow due to the cold, but I'm optimistic that it will improve. A little over half of the bean crop is also in the ground as of today and planting is still going strong."

 

Click here for a summary of acres planted.

 

For the whole story, click here. 

 

NCGA Thanks Sec. of Agriculture Vilsack for Continued Support of Ethanol

 

The National Corn Growers Association thanked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for his remarks in support of ethanol at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security. During the annual symposium, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Vilsack directly confronted false statements blaming ethanol for rising food costs to attendees tasked with evaluating the efforts of private and public industry in the U.S. to improve global food security.

 

"We are grateful for Secretary Vilsack's unwavering support for ethanol," said NCGA President Bart Schott. "By correcting the many misconceptions that sully public sentiment for this fuel, Vilsack simultaneously helps corn growers across the nation and the consumers who need this affordable and sustainable domestic energy source.

 

For the whole story, click here. 

 

NCGA Provides Insight into Building Healthy Relationships between Farmers, Government 

 

Paul and Nathan with Argentine TeamThis week, the National Corn Growers Association met with a team of government officials and farm group leaders from Argentina to explain the role of agricultural associations in the United States and to discuss how American farmers maintain a positive relationship with their government. NCGA staff also addressed the current supply, demand and production forecasts.

 

"As the global population continues to grow at an exponential rate, farmers across the world will have to work together to meet soaring demand," said NCGA Vice President of Production and Utilization Paul Bertels. "A healthy international grain supply promotes security and, in that way, benefits all of us as global citizens."

 

For the whole story, click here. 

NCGA Audio Reports

 

With Severe Weather Grabbing Headlines, Field Notes Looks at How It Impacts Farmers

 

As many areas across the Corn Belt spent the week enduring a seemingly endless onslaught of severe weather, planting progress varies widely with rain and flooding halting the process almost completely in Ohio. Yet in areas unaffected by the persistent precipitation, such as mid-Illinois, planting nears completion. During this busy season, Field Notes growers Sam Hancock, Tom Martin and DeVonna Zeug took time to discuss current planting progress on their farms, the ramifications of a late planting and how they plan on moving forward.

 

To listen to the full interview with Sam Hancock, click here.

 

To listen to the full interview with DeVonna Zeug, click here.

 

To listen to the full interview with Tom Martin, click here.

 

For the full story, click here. 

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