NCGA Calls for Action at the Farm Show

National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson took advantage of one of the nation's largest farm shows to talk about NCGA's membership milestone and the need for corn farmers themselves to make themselves heard on such important issues as ethanol and the farm bill.

"Now is the time for action," Johnson said at the Farm Progress Show, underway in Decatur, Ill. "I urge all of our 40,000 corn growers and those who support them to get involved - whether by reaching out to your lawmakers, getting active in social media like Facebook or Twitter, or volunteering time and talent with our state corn grower associations. Opportunities for engagement are numerous, and we cannot win the battles ahead without our grassroots getting more involved."

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CFC Kept Buzz about Corn Farming Humming through DC this Summer

The Corn Farmers Coalition educational program had another successful summer in the nation's capital, accumulating more than 30 million media impressions during June and July. The fact-based campaign, now in its fifth year, continues to focus on members of Congress, their staffs, administration officials, and opinion leaders in the news media, think tanks and environmental groups inside the DC beltway.

"CFC is about putting a face on family farmers each year, even if only for a short time," said NCGA Grower Services Action Team Chair Brandon Hunnicutt, a farmer from Giltner, Neb. "We take the simplest of facts, mainly from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and let them tell the positive story of how farming is becoming greener, more efficient and more productive."

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NCGA Publishes Seed Treatment Stewardship Guide 

NCGA, together with the American Seed Trade Association, CropLife America, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association and Agricultural Retailers Association, released the "Seed Treatment Stewardship Guide." This publication provides farmers and seed companies with critical information and up-to-date guidelines for managing treated seeds effectively to minimize the risk of exposure to pollinators and other non-target organisms.

"As public interest in pollinator health continues to increase, the guide will be an invaluable resource for our members," said NCGA President Pam Johnson. "We encourage all corn growers to refer to it before, during and after the corn planting season."

To access the guide online, click here.  

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NCGA Promotes Importance of Modern Farming to International Visitors

This week, NCGA brought the corn farmers perspective on American agriculture to an international group of an agronomists and soil scientists hosted by the International Fertilizer Development Center in St. Louis. Addressing participants from 10 nations, NCGA Vice President of Production and Utilization Paul Bertels and Director of Biotechnology and Economic Analysis Nathan Fields shared an overview of American agriculture focusing on production techniques, crop conditions and biotechnology as part of an effort to help participants find farming advances which might be useful in their home countries.

"NCGA helps not only farmers abroad but also those here in the United States by engaging in dialogues such as this," said Bertels. "As international agricultural leaders come to understand how modern techniques and technologies benefit our country and see the broad public acceptance of them, we foster greater acceptance internationally. These visitors come away with a clearer picture of U.S. farming that has a ripple effect, opening markets and dispelling misconceptions across the globe."

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Maize Genetics and Genomics Database Explores Text Mining

As the Maize Genetics and Genomics Database project moves forward, Off the Cob caught up with MaizeGDB Curator Dr. Jack Gardiner for an update on the progress made over the last quarter. In the interview, Gardiner explained how the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service-supported database in Ames, Iowa has been exploring the possibilities for incorporating text mining functionality as it develops.

Recently, Gardiner attended a meeting that will help MaizeGDB become an early adopter, shaping this new technology to best benefit the scientists and corn breeders who will use it.

To listen to the full interview, click here.

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Chinese Study Team Impressed with U.S. Corn

Droughts have long tails. Last year's drought, the third and most severe in a three year string of declining yields, raised concern among international buyers about the reliability of U.S. corn export capacity. Thus, it also helped boost record imports from South American and Black Sea producers. The U.S. Grains Council, of which the NCGA is a founding member, has worked hard to anticipate and address these concerns in order to position U.S. corn for a rebound in exports when yields return to normal.

"China is watching the U.S. crop very closely and this visit has helped inform some of the key players in China about the capacity and safety of the U.S. system," said Bryan Lohmar, USGC Council director. "They have a better perspective, and that translates into a higher degree of confidence and trust."

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Corn Crop Marches Toward Maturity, Maintains Strong Condition

The U.S. corn crop continued to make steady progress toward full maturity last week while remaining in good condition, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Monday. The percentage of the corn crop doughing increased by 18 points last week, narrowing the amount by which this crop's maturation lags the five-year average by four points.  Reports also indicate that the crop condition remains nearly unchanged from the previous week with 59 percent of the crop forecast to be in good-to-excellent condition. Last year at this time, only 22 percent of the crop still fared as well.

"While the crop condition remains strong, farmers understand how weather can play an important role at any point during season," said NCGA Pam Johnson, a grower in Floyd, Iowa. "Despite wet, cool conditions this spring and, for some, this summer, farmers forged ahead to plant a near-record number of corn acres. Now, they face varied conditions across the Corn Belt. Should favorable weather continue to fuel growth and maintain quality, U.S. corn farmers could produce a record crop in 2013."

To view the full report released today, click here.

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U.S. Agricultural Exports Forecast to Reach Record Levels

The United States is on track to export $140 billion in agricultural exports in Fiscal Year 2013, which would set a new record, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Following the release of the Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued the following statement:

"Driven by the productivity of U.S. farmers and ranchers, we have achieved five years of positive momentum for agricultural exports and today's forecast is another promising development. Agricultural exports have a real impact on Main Street and beyond, supporting more than one million good jobs here at home. We're counting on Congress to help keep up this momentum. With just a few weeks left before expiration of many Farm Bill programs - including trade promotion programs that return $35 in economic benefits for every dollar invested - producers and rural communities need passage of a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible. This would enable USDA to continue trade promotion, and carry out a wide variety of additional efforts to support a productive U.S. agriculture sector. At the same time, America's farmers and ranchers need a reliable and stable agricultural workforce to keep up production. Passage of the commonsense immigration reform measure, which was already approved by a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Senate, would further strengthen American agriculture and help put our nation on solid footing to maintain strong exports in the years to come.

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