American Ethanol Takes Center Stage with Dillon Win at Eldora

Austin Dillon put American Ethanol in the winner's circle Wednesday night as he won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ Mudsummer Classic. This inaugural event was held at one of the world's most iconic dirt tracks, Eldora Speedway in Ohio. The race, which was the first NASCAR-sanctioned national event held on a dirt track since 1970, brought American Ethanol to the forefront as Dillon finished in front in the No. 39 American Ethanol Chevrolet truck.

"There was a lot of excitement in the NASCAR community about this historic race," said National Corn Growers Association NASCAR Committee Chair Jon Holzfaster. "Dillon's win elevated the coverage of American Ethanol and provided an unprecedented opportunity to highlight how ethanol fuels champions on the track while providing consumers real savings at the pump."

For the full story, click here.

NCGA President Testifies on RFS Impacts Before House Subcommittee

NCGA President Pam Johnson spoke on the impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard on the agricultural sector before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power this Wednesday.  Other witness panels focused on fuel production and fuel sale and use.

"The Renewable Fuel Standard is doing exactly what it was intended to do," Johnson said during her testimony.  "It has positively impacted the agriculture sector by creating jobs and promoting rural development, reducing greenhouse gases and allowing our nation to grow our energy at home."

To read the entire testimony, click here. For the full story, click here.

NCGA Comments on Proposed RFS Pathways and Standards

NCGA submitted comments in the form of a letter from President Pam Johnson Friday to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, responding to questions about the implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard. In these comments, NCGA addresses corn ethanol-related questions about the Renewable Identification Numbers and Renewable Volume Obligations systems.

The letter begins by stressing how the RFS has succeeded in addressing a number of goals laid out at its creation.

"The Renewable Fuel Standard program is an ongoing success. Since its implementation in 2005 and revision in 2007 as RFS2, it has increased national energy security by creating a market for renewable fuel as a substitute for petroleum-based fuel thereby accelerating the nation's progress toward energy independence. In addition, the RFS program has contributed to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, thereby reducing the nation's contribution to global climate change. This program has and will continue to have an overall positive impact on the U.S. economy, our National security and the nation's health."

For the full story, click here.

NCGA, Others Stand Firm on Title 1 Programs 

In a letter to leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees Friday, the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Canola Association made it clear that their position in favor of more market-oriented farm policies would not change as both chambers prepare their respective bills for a potential conference in September, and that the organizations would oppose any bill containing a risk management program that would tie planted acres to fixed reference or target prices.

In the letter, ASA, NCGA and USCA made it clear they would oppose any program that "would distort planting decisions in years when prices fall below support levels, resulting in surplus production of certain commodities, reduced acreage for smaller crops, depressed domestic and international market prices, and potential WTO actions against the U.S."

"While we are pleased the process is moving forward, NCGA remains extremely concerned about a fixed-target-price program recoupled to planted acres that moves U.S. farm policy away from the market-oriented reforms that have made possible a robust rural economy," said NCGA President Pam Johnson. "Our goals have always been to ensure that the federal crop insurance program remains the cornerstone of the farm safety net and that there are market-oriented risk management tools that best complement the federal crop insurance program."

For the full story, click here.

NCGA Participates on Biotech Panel for State Department

This week, NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman participated on a panel at the U.S. State Department National Foreign Affairs Training Center.  Zimmerman was the only agriculture producer to be invited to speak during the State Department's course.  The panel focused on biotechnology and global challenges related to trade, food security, energy and climate change.

"With a rapidly growing world population it will be necessary to produce as much food in the next 50 years as was produced in all recorded history, making biotechnology in agriculture more important now than ever before," Zimmerman said.  "Better seed technology provides farmers choices to cope with new and emerging challenges such as difficult weather conditions, plant diseases and pests. In addition, the benefits of biotechnology not only include increased yields but also decreased use of water and fertilizer, allowing our farmers to produce more with less."

For the full story, click here.

NCGA Seeks Growers for Action Teams, Committees

NCGA is seeking applications from members interested in working on an NCGA action team or committee in the 2014 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. This service provides growers an opportunity to play an active role in shaping the future of their industry and to become a part of the national agricultural leadership community.

"As a grassroots organization, NCGA relies on its members to step forward and take an active role in developing the policies that will lead our industry forward," said NCGA First Vice President Martin Barbre. "This year, we have opportunities in all of the areas the organization touches, thus allowing members to take their involvement to the next level while exploring in great depth the areas which interest them the most."

For the full story, click here.

Crop Matures, Corn Condition Holds Strong Across the Country

The U.S. corn crop remains in good condition while making rapid progress toward maturity last week, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released earlier this week. The percentage of the corn crop silking increased by 27 points last week, slightly narrowing the lag behind the five-year average to a 13 point gap. At the same time, crop quality forecasts held strong - with reports indicating 63 percent of the crop to be in good-to-excellent condition. Last year at this time, only 26 percent of the crop still fared as well.

"Early in the season, farmers pushed ahead to plant a record number of acres despite cool, wet conditions across much of the Corn Belt," said NCGA President Johnson, a grower in Floyd, Iowa. "Week after week, we are encouraged by reports that the crop condition remains solid throughout the country and that corn maturity is moving along at a reasonable pace given average planting dates this year. Should favorable weather continue to fuel growth, U.S. corn farmers could produce a record crop in 2013."

To view the full report released today, click here.

For the full story, click here.