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Friday, May 17, 2013
Maizall

 

North-South American Maize Growers Form International Alliance

 

The National Corn Growers Association, along with the U.S. Grains Council, MAIZAR, representing Argentina producers and the maize supply chain, and the Brazilian Association of Corn Producers (ABRAMILHO) Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to form an alliance of North and South American maize producers to collaborate on a global basis to address key issues concerning food security, biotechnology, stewardship, trade and producer image. The organizations will function under the name MAIZALL-The International Maize Alliance.

Signatories to the memorandum representing the producer organizations included: Pam Johnson, President, NCGA; Don Fast, Chairman, USGC; Alberto Morelli, Chairman, MAIZAR; and Sergio Luiz Bortolozzo, 2nd Vice President, ABRAMILHO. The MAIZALL alliance was launched as part of the MAIZAR 2013 Congress meeting in Buenos Aires. Argentina.

 

For the full story, click here.

 

NCGA Pleased with Confirmation of Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz

  

Sec MonizNCGA is pleased with the Senate confirmation of physicist Ernest Moniz as secretary of Energy.

 

"I would first like to congratulate Secretary Moniz on his confirmation and express our eagerness to work with him on the many energy issues facing our nation," NCGA President Pam Johnson said. "The Secretary's strong scientific background makes us optimistic that he will be an excellent partner in realizing the opportunities that domestically-produced, sustainable biofuels such as ethanol have to offer and look forward to collaborating with his office to maximize the benefits ethanol can provide our nation."

 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was confirmed by a unanimous vote of 97 to 0.

 

Farmers Celebrate Waterway Legislation Passage

 

NCGA thanked members of the U.S. Senate who overwhelmingly passed the Water Resources Development Act, a bill that represents an important step forward in upgrading the inland waterways system.

 

"Our inland waterways, in particular the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, are an important route for moving our corn to markets worldwide," said NCGA Chairman Garry Niemeyer, who has been active on the water issue for decades. "We're proud to see such a united Senate approve this with an 83-14 vote and are looking forward to the day when some of these much-needed projects get rolling and get completed."

 

For the full story, click here.

 

NCGA Applauds Senate Ag Committee Farm Bill Action

 

NCGA President Pam Johnson released the following statement in response to the Senate Agriculture Committee's farm bill passage on Tuesday:

 

"We greatly appreciate the work by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and the Committee to put forth a well-crafted farm bill. The National Corn Growers Association is pleased to see the Committee listened to the concerns of our nation's corn farmers and have done a great job keeping our priorities, especially the importance of crop insurance and risk management, under consideration while drafting the legislation.

 

Click here to read the full statement.

 

Corn Growers Pleased to See House Ag Committee Progress on Farm Bill

 

NCGA President Johnson released the following statement in response to the House Committee on Agriculture's farm bill passage late Wednesday night:

 

"We greatly appreciate the work by House Committee on Agriculture's Chairman Frank Lucas, Ranking Member Collin Peterson and the Committee to move forward in the process to develop a five-year farm bill. NCGA is assessing similarities and differences between the legislation and our grower-developed policy.

 

Click here to read the full statement.

 

NCGA Supports Supreme Court Decision Upholding Importance of Intellectual Property Rights

 

NCGA expressed support for the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Bowman v. Monsanto. The court ruled unanimously that Bowman, an Indiana farmer, violated Monsanto's patent on genetically modified soybeans when he purchased some from a grain elevator and used them to replant his own crop in future years. In doing so, the court reaffirmed the importance of maintain the integrity of intellectual property laws as they pertain to agricultural biotechnology.

 

"In their ruling, the court upheld the American values that underpin our economic system and help maintain our national spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship," said NCGA Chairman Niemeyer, a farmer from Illinois. "It is essential to future research that companies are able to profit from their innovations already on the market and under patent protection. In upholding the integrity of this right, the court shows that the American dream of achieving success through hard work and ingenuity is still alive."

 

For the full story, click here.

 

New Report Outlines Corn Ethanol's Ever-Improving GHG Reduction Benefits

 

Ethanol not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum but continues to steadily improve upon the levels at which it does so, according to a report released by Dr. Steffen Mueller of the University of Illinois at Chicago's Energy Resources Center. In his study findings, which are now available online, Mueller outlines how ethanol has helped the Renewable Fuel Standard meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and, due to a uniquely high rate of innovation and technology adoption in the ethanol industry, continues to improve the level of greenhouse gas emission reductions offered by this renewable, sustainable biofuel.

 

The report, "Corn Ethanol: Emerging Plant Energy and Environmental Technologies," comes from a study funded by the National Corn Growers Association's Ethanol Committee, the Illinois Corn Growers Association and Monsanto with research assistance provided by the Renewable Fuels Association. Using the data outlined in the paper, NCGA will submit comments on the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in response to their third white paper, "Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Other Environmental Impacts."

 

For the full report, click here.

 

For the full story, click here.

 

As Weather Heats Up, Farmers Hit the Fields

 

As persistently cool, wet weather finally began to relent, farmers across the Corn Belt headed into their fields, more than doubling the progress made to his point, according to reports released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As of May 12, 28 percent of projected corn acres had been planted, while only 12 percent were planted a week prior. Despite the rapid progress, corn planting still lags behind the five-year average by 37 points.

 

"Farmers are heading into their fields and taking advantage of every possible window to get the corn crop planted," said NCGA Chairman Niemeyer, a grower in Illinois. "Today's planting equipment can plant four to six times more rows in a single pass than what was common even when I began farming. By taking advantage of every warm day dry enough to get into the fields and using significantly more efficient technology, we will be able to make progress that would not have been possible just a few decades ago. For most farmers, a week of warm, drier weather will make the crucial difference."

 

For the full story, click here.

 

NCGA CEO Highlight Sustainability of Modern Farming for Media

 

Wednesday, National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman took part in a panel discussion on "Adapting in Real Time to Climate Change" held as a part of Monsanto Media Days. The dialogue, which featured many industry leaders and experts on environmental issues, provided information on agricultural innovation and sustainability for national, local and farm media.

 

Tolman began his presentation by discussing how corn farming has adapted over thousands of years in North America from the early Native Americans who bred Teosinte to produce early corn to the modern farm families who use improved seed varieties and precision planting technology to increase yields while decreasing the amount of inputs needed to grow a bushel of corn. He then noted that, throughout history, corn has been a uniquely American gift to the world that is strategically and economically important as a crop in many countries and as an imported food and feed source in others.

 

For the full story, click here.

 

NCGA Capital Staff Provide Answers to Visiting Farm Media

  

Jon at NAFB DC With a plate full of hot issues on Capitol Hill, staff from the NCGA's Washington office had a lot to discuss in a round of interviews with farm-state media visiting the Capital for the annual Washington Watch meeting of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Interviews covered a range of questions with particular interest paid to the farm bill, ethanol and the 2013 planting season.

 

"These interviews help our growers back home get a deeper understanding of what we do in Washington and how we voice their concerns in the policy arena on Capitol Hill," said NCGA Vice President of Public Policy Jon Doggett. "It is vitally important for our corn farmers to stay aware of the challenges and opportunities we face in Washington so they can actively engage with their members of Congress and show broad, grassroots political activism in the farming community."

 

For the full story, click here.

Corn Commentary New
On Corn Commentary, you can always get the latest news on the situations impacting today's farmer. Whether delving into the details of pending legislation or exploring how to agvocate more effectively, Corn Commentary offers a fresh perspective.  Check out this week's featured offerings:
Click here to explore our blog posts on a variety of interesting, insightful topics.
Field Notes

NCGA has launched its third season of Field Notes, a series that takes readers behind the farm gate to follow the year in the life of American farm families. While these growers come from diverse geographic areas and run unique operations, they share a common love for U.S. agriculture and the basic values that underpin life in farming communities.\

 

Field Notes Catches Up with Missouri Farmer Rob Korff

  

Rob Korff Today, Field Notes caught up with Rob Korff, a Missouri farmer, who turned off his tractor to talk about planting progress in mid-Missouri. Korff explained that, while the weather has delayed planting by about a month, round-the-clock work since Mother's Day will allow him to finish planting corn sometime today.

 

"I usually like to be done planting corn by the 15th or 20th of April," Korff said. "By now, I would normally like to be done planting beans too, but I have yet to start those. We should be able to finish corn planting late tonight, and we will go right into planting beans tomorrow. If the weather holds, we are going to be out here working."

 

He explained that, while planting may be have been delayed by four weeks, the crop could still produce an abundant harvest so long as the weather cooperates.

 

"If this does or does not affect yields really depends on the weather for the rest of the year," said Korff. "The calendar says that we are a month behind on planting, but the weather says that we are not. It has been cold and wet. If the crops had been planted, they wouldn't have grown anyway. The weather says we are running on schedule so we have to wait and see what the rest of the summer brings."

 

To listen to the full interview with Korff, click here.

 

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as Field Notes follows the growers who have opened their farms, families and communities up this year and meet the true faces of modern American agriculture.

NCGA Weekly Program Spotlight

Thanks to the strong support of our state corn checkoff programs, the National Corn Growers Association is a proud partner with NASCAR in conjunction with American Ethanol. Now, American Ethanol is on the green flag that starts every NASCAR race - and in the fuel tank of every car that makes it to the winner's victory lap. Click the logo for more information.

Joint logo

NCGA Offers Members Exclusive Access to NASCAR Info, Discounts

 

With NASCAR � season heating up, the National Corn Growers Association reminds members that they are entitled to exclusive online NASCAR news and discounts as part of the association's American Ethanol partnership with the sport. Through this online portal to all things NASCAR, members can access a customized site that offers the best deals on NASCAR tickets, discounts with other NASCAR partners and a vast assortment of other fun extras.

 

In the "Deals" section of the website, members have access to exclusive offers on the latest gear and unadvertised offers from Official NASCAR Partners and Licensees such as:

  • Bank of America
  • Exide Batteries
  • New Holland
  • Sprint Wireless
  • UPS

Additionally, the NASCAR Fuel for Members website offers many other exciting and valuable benefits. The "Race Tickets" section hooks NCGA members up with the best ticket deals on the circuit. Through NASCAR RacePoints, the official rewards program of NASCAR, NCGA members can enroll and earn points when purchasing NASCAR apparel, merchandise, collectibles and experiences.

 

NASCAR Fuel for Members also provides exclusive information and web extras through the "Fan Center" page. Here, NCGA members can view weekly race videos, become part of NASCAR's social network and find the NASCAR Fan Guide, wallpaper and screen saver downloads. Avid fans are even invited to test their NASCAR knowledge and win amazing prizes through a trivia challenge in the "Play to Win" section.

 

Log on to www.ncga.com/racing for more information.

 

NASCAR Fuel for Members is made possible through NCGA participation in American Ethanol's partnership with NASCAR. Representing a wide array of ethanol supporters, from farmers to bio-engineering firms, American Ethanol was established by Growth Energy in partnership with NCGA. By establishing a marketing partnership with NASCAR which began in the 2011 racing season, the same year that NASCAR switched its fuel to Sunoco Green E15, American Ethanol educates and informs the broader American public about the benefits of U.S.-made ethanol.