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NCGA Testifies in Support of Pending Panama Trade Promotion Agreement before Senate Finance Committee
 National 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."
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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."
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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."
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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.
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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.
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NCGA Provides Insight into Building Healthy Relationships between Farmers, Government
 This 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."
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