Fourteen years after the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed it has been fully implemented. As of Jan. 1, the final trade restrictions on U.S. exports of corn, dry edible beans, dry milk and high fructose corn syrup were removed under the agreement. This has sparked protests by farmers in Mexico. Now, is it just me, or does this …
Kill the Corn
For those who have a hard time grasping sarcasm, yesterday’s column in the Chicago Tribune by humor columnist Mark Bazer is supposed to be FUNNY. Bazer’s “I have seen the enemy-and its name is corn” is making light of the attacks on corn and ethanol. It is important to explain this because what he says is not a whole lot …
NCGA Official Predicts Attitude Change
National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman says American agriculture is a great success story and he believes the positive news about the industry will be appreciated more by the general public in the coming years. “I don’t think the people on Wall Street or on the West Coast understand how much technology is being applied and how much change …
NCGA Announces 2007 National Corn Yield Contest Winners
The National Corn Growers Association has announced the Corn Yield Contest winners. Not only was the number of entries higher than ever before, but several entrants scored yields of more than double the estimated average. The 27 winners in nine production categories had verified yields averaging more than 298 bushels per acre, compared to the estimated national average of 153 …
Senate Passes Farm Bill
Senators just finished patting each other on the back for their “tremendous” work in getting both an energy bill and a farm bill passed within 24 hours. The Senate version of the 2007 Farm Bill made amazing progress overnight after Senators decided it was taking too long to go through even the pared-down list of amendments they had agreed to …
Corn Mythology
As part of its campaign to educate consumers and the news media, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has developed a one-page document responding to the top 10 myths about corn production and ethanol production. The top ten myths about corn and ethanol are, in David Letterman style: 10. Ethanol is bad for your car’s engine. 9. Ethanol is not …
Getting Thanks From James Garner
While we’re still in a thanksgiving spirit it’s good to know that there are a lot of people who think America’s corn growers are doing a good job. They’re willing to speak out and say so too. For example, take James Garner: “Many Americans don’t realize that we enjoy the safest, most affordable food supply in the world, thanks to …
Marvelous Documentary
If you did not see the documentary about corn on the History Channel’s Modern Marvels Monday night, go buy yourself a copy online. It’s well worth the 25 bucks. Buy a bunch for your corn grower friends for Christmas. It will make them proud. It was almost too good. It did touch on a couple of negatives very briefly - …
Is the Price of Corn Too Low?
Here’s a little grist for the mill from the Missouri Corn Growers Association. Although corn prices have risen substantially over the past year, according to Dr. Jim McLaren, founder and president of StrathKirn Inc., it is inaccurate to think corn price increases have a large impact on food prices. “While news coverage abounds about the price of corn pinching consumer’s …
Thank a Farmer Video Contest
As we near the Thanksgiving holiday it’s time to think about thanking U. S. farmers who feed us. Corn Commentary is now interlinked with the new NCGA/state affiliates website called Farmers Matter. The website was created to thank farmers and help educate consumers about growers’ dedication for producing the safest, most abundant food and feed supply on Earth, while also …