Ag Industry News and Events - Page 14

MEDIA ADVISORY 

 Plant 2020 is Underway for Iowa Corn Farmers

Exclusive Planting Photos and Video Available for Download 

As of April 26, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Iowa farmers have planted 39 percent of their corn crop for 2020. Statewide, there was great planting progress made last week on Iowa’s expected 14.1 million acres of corn due to 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork.  In contrast, it was mid-June before Iowa farmers had a week with 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork in 2019.  As planting in Iowa is ongoing, Iowa Corn would like to serve as a resource for facts and images for coverage of #Plant20:

For an exclusive look at this year’s corn planting action, click here to access Iowa Corn’s Planting Portal to download photos and videos to use in your coverage. You will need to click "I agree" on the terms & conditions. Please attribute to Iowa Corn.

Since 1978, Iowa corn farmers have elected their peers to serve on the Iowa Corn Promotion Board® (ICPB) to oversee the investment of funds generated by the Iowa Corn checkoff program.

On July 14, 2020, corn farmers in crop reporting districts 1, 3 and 6 can vote at their local county ISU extension office for 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 of new and value-added corn uses and education on corn and the farmers who grow it.

 The Iowa Department of Revenue 2019 Retailers Fuel Gallons Annual Report released earlier this month showed a 38 percent increase of E15 sales across Iowa in 2019, totaling a record high at 47.4 million gallons purchased by Iowa motorists. Also, the reported number of fuel retail locations offering higher blends...

Today, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a State of Public Health Emergency Proclamation granting a temporary weight limit exemption and extension of hours for trucks operating on Iowa roads transporting corn and “agricultural supplies and commodities, including but not limited to, livestock, raw milk and crop supplies,” during the global COVID-19 outbreak. This allows for trucks to haul 12.5% per axle (up to 90,000 pounds).

The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is calling on President Trump to stand behind the 10^th Circuit Court ruling and stand behind corn farmers and biofuel producers. If the Court ruling gets appealed, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue to abuse the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by allowing Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) be granted to oil refiners that are not in hardship and slash corn demand for renewable fuels.

Iowa Corn Discusses Rented Land at the Iowa Power Farming Show

Farm Rented Land Like Your Own: Start a Conversation with Your Landlord

Iowa Corn is hosting panel discussions at the Iowa Power Farming Show on January 28 and 29, 2020. Join Iowa farmers and Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Julie Kenney, as they share success stories of tenants working with their landlords to improve conservation and profitability on rented land. Moderated by The Nature Conservancy’s Mike Dunn. A free lunch will be available for attendees following the seminars.

Today Congress ratified the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) allowing for free trade with our neighboring countries to the north and the south. The bill, which passed with broad support, will now go to President Trump’s desk for his signature. Mexico and Canada are the U.S. corn industry’s largest, most reliable market. In 2018/2019, 21.4 million metric tons of corn and corn co-products were exported to Mexico and Canada. These exports were valued at $4.56 billion. In 2018/2019, Mexico was the top export for U.S. corn and DDGS while Canada was the top export of U.S. ethanol.

This October Iowa drivers raised over $20,000 for breast cancer research and support services simply by choosing cleaner-burning Unleaded 88 during the 4^th annual Pink at the Pump® campaign, co-sponsored by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) and Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB).

The abuse of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) continues as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released today the final 2020 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) that does not reflect the deal President Trump agreed to on October 4, 2019.  The finalized rule incorporates the Wheeler plan that merely estimates future small refinery waivers based on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recommendations. ICGA supports a simple, mathematical solution by averaging the past three years of actual waivers granted, then adding those gallons back into the RFS. ICGA’s supported resolution would have created market certainty, so as not to rely on the EPA or DOE Administrators for their annual decisions.

In continued efforts to correct the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) twisted proposed rule that goes against President Trump’s agreement, Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President Jim Greif spoke at a news conference along with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).  The attack of Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) has eliminated 4.04 billion gallons of biofuels from the RFS program over the last three years. This equates to nearly 1.5 billion bushels of corn. The EPA’s supplemental proposed rule would base any reallocation of waived gallons through the SRE program on the Department of Energy (DOE) recommendations which the EPA has historically not followed. The result of the EPA’s proposal will continue to undercut the RFS when waivers are granted removing market access for cleaner-burning renewable fuels. In efforts to not let this proposed rule get finalized, ICGA has launched a campaign sharing farmer’s stories to ask President Trump to follow through on his promise to support the RFS.