NCGA Comments Express Concerns about EPA Guidance to Automakers

The National Corn Growers Association submitted comments on Monday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency supporting the Renewable Fuel Standard and incentives issued to auto manufacturers for Flex Fuel Vehicle production. These comments, which were submitted in response to EPA's Draft Guidance for E85 Flexible Fuel Vehicle Weighting Factors, expressed concern that the Agency's proposal does not adequately incentivize the automobile manufacturers to continue building FFVs after the 2016 model year.

To read the full comments as submitted, please click here.

"NCGA's 38,000 members, along with the nation's corn farmers, firmly support the RFS and strongly believe that it has successfully increased our country's energy security while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that would pollute our air," said NCGA Ethanol Committee Chair Chad Willis, a farmer from Willmar, Minn. "Ethanol can play a key role in working toward further reductions and meeting future energy needs but, to do so, we need continued production of the FFVs. We hope that the EPA will consider the importance of FFVs in continuing to meet this goal and choose to continue creating policy that corresponds with the benefits FFVs offer our nation's environment and consumers."

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NCGA Pleased with Court Decision to Dismiss Pesticide Lawsuit

The U.S. District Court of Northern California issued an order dismissing a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that alleged the EPA violated the Endangered Species Act when registering hundreds of compounds. NCGA is pleased with the decision and supports farmers' ability to use products that have already been approved within EPA's rigorous registration process.

The suit was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Pesticide Action Network of North America, claiming that EPA failed to undertake consultations with the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, as required by the Endangered Species Act.

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NCGA Highlights Progress of Grain and Oilseed Value Chain Collaboration for States, Farmer Leaders

NCGA hosted a webinar for grower leaders and state corn association staff this week to offer an in-depth look at the effort to promote better communication throughout the biotechnology value chain. In cooperation with the American Soybean Association, NCGA launched a series of biotechnology and trade forums in the fall of 2011. In February of 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to solidify the value chain's commitment to improving the transparency and frequency of communication about agricultural biotechnology products. NCGA remains encouraged by the shared goals of our industry partners in this endeavor.

During the session, participants received an overview of the progress made at previous forums, as well as future plans for NCGA to conduct industry consultations through the Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team. Industry representatives from the National Grain and Feed Association and the American Seed Trade Associations shared perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for agricultural biotechnology in the domestic and international arenas.

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Prepare for a Safe, Successful Planting Season

With planting across much of the Midwest finally underway, NCGA reminds farmers to take time to review proper safety procedures.

"Part of maintaining and increasing opportunities for corn farmers includes helping ensure that everyone in our community remembers the importance of safety, especially during the extremely active planting and harvest seasons," said NCGA President Pam Johnson. "While a good part of planting safety is based in common sense, it is imperative to ensuring that farmers have a successful, secure season."

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NASCAR Highlights Environmental Benefits of Ethanol this Earth Day

NASCAR™ has launched a national commercial promoting its efforts to care for the environment. The NASCAR Green™ video, released to coincide with Earth Day, highlights all that the sport has done to reduce emissions by 20 percent and become the largest recycler in all of professional sports. In particular, the video highlights the important role that corn-based American Ethanol, an important component in Sunoco Green E15 powers every car in every race, plays in helping NASCAR continue its tradition of excellence while working toward a better tomorrow.

"We are excited to see this message, which will air for the rest of the NASCAR season, because it highlights the commitment that both NASCAR and U.S. corn farmers have to acting as good stewards of our environment," said National Corn Growers Association Corn Board Member Jon Holzfaster. "Every day, corn farmers rely on the land, air and water to grow a healthy, abundant crop which, through ethanol fuel blends, goes on to power our nation as it moves toward a greener tomorrow. Earth Day is all about positive change, and so are America's farmers and NASCAR."

To watch the video, click here.

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NCGA Members Save Big on Summer Travel

This summer vacation, NCGA members can save on travel expenses by using discounts available exclusively through NCGA. Through partnerships with Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the exclusive NCGA Worldwide Hotel Discount Program, NCGA offers members valuable savings on car rentals and hotel bookings whether they travel across the country or even to many locations around the world.

"NCGA works hard to increase opportunities for farmers in the market place, but we also strive to offer a wide array of benefits to our members," said NCGA Grower Services Action Team Chair Brandon Hunnicutt. "Growers benefit from our work to grow the market for corn and maintain their freedom to operate, but we also want to provide special opportunities for our members that reward their support of our organization. Summer vacations often build memories that last a lifetime, and we want to provide discounts that make these magical moments more affordable."

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Planting Progress Slow Due to Cool, Wet Weather

Cool, wet conditions again delayed planting progress across most of the country according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With only four percent of total corn acres planted by April 21, progress lags far behind this time last year when 26 percent of U.S. corn acres were already in the ground and now trails the five-year average for this point by 12 percentage points. Last week, planting progress was only five percentage points off the five-year average.

"It is still early in the planting season and slow progress at this point should not cause alarm," said National Corn Growers Association First Vice President Martin Barbre, a grower in Illinois. "In 2012, we saw how quickly rapid planting progress can wither away under a hot, dry summer sky. The precipitation may be keeping farmers out of the fields for now, but it is providing much needed moisture in many cases. In 2011, I had nothing planted and 3,000 acres under water on May 3, and I still raised a good crop. So, I know that there is plenty of time left to get a good crop in the ground."

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Field to Market Enters New Stage of Development

The National Corn Growers Association was represented by two corn growers at Field to Market's first board meeting as an independent non-profit organization, held earlier this month in Memphis, Tenn. Along with receiving updates on current projects and activities, participants engaged in discussions to identify shared values within the agricultural commodity supply chain, metric and tool development, and communications.

"Our food industry is looking for opportunities throughout the supply chain to use metrics to promote continuous improvement in commodity agriculture," said NCGA Production and Stewardship Action Team member Gary Edwards of Iowa. "We are taking what we've learned from Field to Market's early pilots to refine program guidelines, and at the same time expanding the metrics in the Fieldprint Calculator."

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Impact of China's Recent Bird Flu on Corn Demand May Not be Large

The impact of China's bird flu outbreak on poultry production, and thus feed demand, remains uncertain but may be less than initially feared. In mid-April, China's bird flu incidents resulted in the closing of live bird markets around the Shanghai region and in South China. As cases spread to other regions such as Beijing and Henan, the effects of these closings and the reduction of poultry inventories will reduce feed consumption in the poultry industry. However, if consumers switch to pork instead of poultry meat, this will offset the losses in the poultry sector and reduce the net effect on feed demand.

"Since hogs are less efficient converters of feed to meat and use a higher proportion of energy feeds like corn, any substitution of pork for poultry that occurs will dampen the negative effect of reduced poultry production on feed demand, particularly corn," said Bryan Lohmar, U.S. Grains Council director in China. "Conversely, fish are more efficient converters and use less energy feed, so if consumers switch to fish this will help soybean increase demand a little, but not corn."

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