News - 2017 Archive

STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT MARK RECKER
ON EPA’S 2018 RENEWABLE VOLUME OBLIGATIONS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today the final Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) for the 2018 conventional biofuels requirement at 15 billion gallons under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). We are pleased to see the EPA hitting the statutory target for corn ethanol. This comes as good news for Iowa corn farmers who now face tough economic times and for consumers who want affordable, homegrown fuel choices. We thank U.S. Senators Grassley and Ernst for their steadfast, unwavering support of maintaining a strong RFS through this rule making process.

Drivers road tripping to see friends and family this holiday season could save big by filling up with E15. E15 contains five percentage points more ethanol than E10, also known as Super Unleaded. On average, E15 costs $.05 to $.10 cents less than regular gasoline. AAA projects nearly 51 million American will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 3.3 percent increase over last year and the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving gas prices have risen to highest since 2014. According Growth Energy, if all the drivers hitting the road this week fill up with E15, the total savings would be nearly $4 million.

This harvest season the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) partnered with FFA Chapters across Southern Iowa to bring more than 1,000 lunches to farmers as they worked to bring in their crops.

The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) thanks Governor Reynolds for extending the proclamation until December 1, 2017 granting a temporary weight limit exemption for trucks on Iowa roads. The 2017 Harvest Weight Proclamation specifically increases the weight allowable for shipment of corn, soybeans, hay, straw and stover, by 12.5 percent per axle (up to a maximum of 90,000 pounds) without the need for an oversize/overweight permit only during the duration of the proclamation.

Iowa Corn proudly announces today the 18 Iowa college students who will make up the eighth Iowa Corn Collegiate Advisory Team (CAT). Comprised of Iowa students pursuing degrees in agriculture, CAT will assist the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) in developing targeted programs to enhance the organizations’ relationships with individuals pursuing careers in agriculture production and allied industries. CAT achieves this by fostering the knowledge and skills of these future leaders and providing them the tools to advocate for Iowa Corn and other commodity organizations’ role in the success of Iowa agriculture. 

We would like to congratulate fellow farmer Annette Sweeney on her appointment by President Trump as Iowa Rural Development Director. Annette has served for many years on the Iowa Corn Animal Agriculture and the Environment Committee and has been an active member with our organization advocating on water quality and animal agriculture issues. As a former Iowa State Representative from 2009 to 2012 and Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, she brings a broad cross section of leadership experience to her new role.

STATEMENT FROM
IOWA CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT MARK RECKER

On behalf of Iowa’s corn farmers, I would like to congratulate Amanda DeJong on her appointment by President Trump to serve as the Iowa State Executive Director of the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. DeJong joined the Iowa Corn staff in 2011 as the Senior Policy Advisor and has been a key team member working on behalf of Iowa Corn Growers Association members on the Farm Bill, crop insurance, the Renewable Fuels Standard and trade.

 Looking out his combine cab window, Iowa farmer Dean Meyer contemplates several things, but one stands out, how to add value to every bushel of corn. Meyer knows one proven strategy to do so has been his diversified operation, including the livestock animals raised on his farm. When, Meyer, who raises cattle, feeds his cattle corn, sells them, and they become processed as beef products, he creates a value-added product -Iowa corn-fed beef. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines value added-products as the production of a product in a manner that enhances its value. When exported overseas, red meat exports help add additional profitability for Iowa’s corn farmers like Meyer. Exports of value-added products such as ethanol and meat products make up the largest share of U.S. agricultural exports at 63 percent.

The Iowa Wild, in conjunction with Iowa Corn®, announced on Thursday, the two have partnered to create Hockey Days Iowa – an outdoor three-on-three hockey tournament to be held from Jan. 13 – 14 in a central Iowa cornfield.