News - 2018 Archive - Page 4

I-LEAD CLASS 9 APPLICATIONS DUE JULY 1

Members of the Iowa Corn Leadership Enhancement and Development (I-LEAD) program Class 8 traveled to Japan and Vietnam on an international trade mission in March to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the global food system and to develop a deeper admiration for the views of U.S. agriculture’s international customers. The mission served as the capstone event as Class 8 wraps up their two-year program. Iowa Corn is now accepting applications for I-LEAD Class 9 at www.iowacorn.org/ilead. Iowa Corn developed the I-LEAD program in recognition that the future of Iowa agriculture depends on developing leaders who have a passion for agriculture.

Despite a delayed planting season, Iowa farmers have come to the final stretch of #plant18. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Iowa corn farmers have planted 86 percent of their crop, 5 days behind last year. Last week, farmers were able to plant 21 percent of Iowa’s expected 13.3...

Following the Ethanol Summit of the Asia-Pacific in Minneapolis this week the U.S. Grains Council will hold post Summit tours for participants to be able to see the full production and value of U.S. ethanol. One such team will be arriving in Iowa this week to see U.S. corn and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) production and supply. The delegation will consist of high-level government and industry representatives from Korea, Taiwan, China, and Singapore. They will visit corn farms, ethanol plants, feed mills, fuel retailers, elevators and co-ops.

As the 2018 Iowa legislative session comes to a close this week, the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President Mark Recker, a farmer from Arlington, says notable progress occurred on many legislative issues positively impacting agriculture.

Iowa Corn announced today the 16 student recipients of the Iowa Corn Future of Agriculture Scholarship program for the 2018-2019 school year. Iowa Corn awarded sixteen (16) $1,000 one-year scholarships to deserving, qualified students enrolled at an accredited U.S. 2-year or 4-year college or university, or graduate school, in a program of study to equip them to contribute to Iowa’s agriculture industry. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB).

The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) and its founding organizations, including Iowa Corn, Iowa Soybean Association, and the Iowa Pork Producers Association, as well as its Advisory and Business Council members, want to offer you the tools and resources you need to cover Earth Day on Sunday, April 22.

STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT DUANE AISTROPE ON
JAPAN ALLOWING U.S. ETHANOL

The U.S. Grains Council confirmed yesterday that Japan has finalized a change in the country’s biofuels policy allowing for imports of the oxygenate ETBE made from U.S. corn-based ethanol. As farmers, we welcome this news as we know that U.S. ethanol can meet Japan’s need for a high octane, low-carbon fuel source in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving air quality.

On July 17, 2018, corn growers in Crop Reporting Districts 4, 5, 8, and 9 can vote at their local county ISU extension office for their representation on the Iowa Corn Promotion Board for a 3-year term. The Board’s primary priorities and responsibilities include domestic and foreign market development, research into news and value-added corn uses, and education on corn and the farmers who grow it.

President Trump announced today that he supports approval for year-round consumer access to E15, a high-octane fuel composed of 15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline. This is welcome news for Iowa’s farmers and American motorists as it will help expand the availability and market access for higher blends of ethanol. The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) thank U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst as well as Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for their unwavering support for creating a path for E15 full availability, especially during the White House discussions this week. We also thank President Trump for his public support of year-round E15 sales that will provide consumers greater access to lower-cost, cleaner-burning fuel at the pump.

Our message to President Trump and his administration remains decidedly clear. We cannot lose this market. Iowa’s farm families must not be collateral damage in a trade dispute. The impact of these potential tariffs does not hurt just one agricultural sector or commodity but threatens the whole industry and Iowa stands at the epicenter.