May 31, 2019 Corn Insider

Iowa Corn Requests Support of Bill to Stop EPA Abuses

Iowa Congressman Loebsack is one of the original cosponsors of the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019, which establishes an annual June 1st deadline for refineries to submit small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions from their RFS blending obligations each year and increases transparency in the process. Iowa Corn has requested the rest of the Iowa House delegation to support this important bill to stop the continued demand destruction of ethanol by the EPA.

President Trump Makes a Move Toward Ratifying USMCA

The White House announced plans to send the draft of the Statement of Administrative Action to Capitol Hill Thursday. This starts a 30-day notice to Congress before Trump is able to send a full implementation bill to the Hill. While it’s not certain that President Trump will send full legislation to Congress, Iowa Corn is hopeful this step is a sign he will submit legislation at the end of June. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she wants to see how Mexico will implement new labor laws before allowing USMCA a vote in Congress. ICGA supports the USMCA and will continue to monitor its progress in the U.S. as well as Canada and Mexico.

Iowa Corn Monitoring Disaster Bill.

The US House is expected to try again today to pass a $19.1 billion disaster bill. But unless a member from Texas relents and allows a voice vote, final action on the Senate-passed measure will have to wait until next week.  Iowa Corn wants it passed so disaster assistance can get out to the farmers who need it.

Other Happenings:

• Canada has recently introduced a bill in the House of Commons to implement USMCA.  This makes Canada the first country taking steps to ratify the new agreement.
• Chinese officials announced plans on Tuesday at the World Trade Organization in Geneva to act on promises to import more corn, wheat, and rice. China has lost two cases to the United States regarding ag trade, but they have chosen not to fight the decisions.
• The FDIC released its quarterly banking report on Wednesday, revealing an uptick in the rate of farm loans that are past due. It's the latest datapoint in the broader trend of worsening conditions in the farm economy, that is grappling with trade issues, a five-year drop in income and the highest levels of farm sector debt since the 1980s crisis.

 

Planting Update-May 27^th

Progress continues to be slow and steady for farmers in Iowa. With all the rain in the Midwest we are really seeing the delays in planting with our neighboring states. Emerged corn in Iowa is at 42% which is well below the 5-year average.

Planting Outlook: The biggest challenge for Iowa farmers right now is the very wet conditions. With continued rain throughout the week the planting progress will slow as well as potential flooding for emerged corn.

Sign Up for the Latest Stewardship News from Iowa Corn!

Make sure you’re up to date on managing your farm’s soil and water by signing up for Iowa Corn’s Stewardship Advocate program.  Over 1,000 farmers and landowners have signed up to receive the monthly e-newsletter with the latest news on conservation issues.  If you haven’t signed up for the program, click here!  If you missed the May newsletter, click here.

Secretary Naig Announces Signup for Cost Share Funding

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced that farmers and landowners can now sign up for 2019 cost share funds to implement nutrient reduction practices including cover crops, no till, strip till, and nitrification inhibitors.  This funding is limited to 160 acres per farmer or landowner.  Applications for funding may be submitted immediately at your local Soil and Water Conservation District office.  Click here for more information.

 

Saturated Buffer Installation on June 6 near West Branch

Iowa Corn and several partners are hosting a field day on Thursday, June 6 from noon to 2 pm at Fawcett Farms near West Branch.  Attendees will see a saturated buffer being installed and learn about other edge of field practices that improve water quality.  Lunch is provided.  Click here for more information.

Bioreactor Field Day on June 11 near Albert City

Iowa Corn and several partners are hosting a field day on Tuesday, June 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Olie Leimer Farm near Albert City.  Attendees will see a bioreactor being installed and learn how edge of field practices improve water quality.  Supper is provided, so bring the whole family!  Click here for more information.

Clarion Roundtable June 11 at Hagie Manufacturing

The District 2 Roundtable will be held at Hagie Manufacuring in Clarion on June 11^th. An optional tour of Hagie will begin at 5 p.m. with the roundtable beginning at 6 p.m. Roundtable meetings are key for Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) policy development. The meetings allow ICGA members to come together, share a meal and discuss key issues impacting corn farmers. Policies brought forward and approved at roundtable meetings go on to the Annual Grassroots Summit in August for the ICGA delegates to debate. Click here to register for this roundtable.

 

Want to know more about E15?

E15, also marketed as Unleaded 88 (UNL88), is a higher-octane, cleaner-burning fuel made from 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. It provides a slight boost in octane for your engine and contains just five percentage points more ethanol than 87-octane Super Unleaded (or E10), by far and away the most commonly used fuel in the U.S.

E15 is approved for all 2001 and newer vehicles, meaning you don’t need a special vehicle to take advantage of its benefits because these cars make up about 9 in 10 vehicles on the road today. Currently, it’s sold at more than more than 170 stations in Iowa and 1,700 locations in 30 states. Even better, its often sold at a three to 10 cent discount to Super Unleaded! Perfect for fueling up during your vacation wherever that leads you this summer! You can find a station near you using Iowa Corn’s fuel finder by clicking here.

By choosing E15, you also contribute to a cleaner state. In 2018 alone, the use of ethanol reduced greenhouse gas emission by 55.1 million metric tons, the equivalent to removing more than twice the number of registered vehicles in the state of Iowa for an entire year! Cleaner air for me. Cleaner air for our neighbors. Cleaner air for the next generation.

Not only is E15 renewable but it’s produced right here at Iowa’s 42 ethanol plants generating corn demand for you, Iowa’s corn farmers. Iowa’s ethanol production helps support roughly 48,000 jobs in the state accounting for $5 billion of Iowa’s gross domestic product (GDP) building jobs for today and tomorrow.

Don’t forget to take advantage of this lowest cost, homegrown fuel for this first time this summer as you hit the road! To find an E15 or E85 station nearest you, go to iowacorn.org for a full listing of Iowa ethanol stations.