The bumper corn crop this year means lower prices for the grain, but feed demand will continue to be strong… while demand to turn grains into biofuels will stagnate. That’s the mixed bag of information attendees of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 96th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show heard from Patrick Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy …
Corn Growers Welcome New Congress
The National Corn Growers Association spent Tuesday on Capitol Hill this week, welcoming the 114th Congress to Washington and talking up the importance of agriculture to the American economy. “We are here to welcome the new Congress, and to encourage them to work together with one another and the Obama Administration to advance policies that help agriculture and family farmers,” …
PacificAg Can Help Growers Increase Profits in 2014
The largest and most experienced biomass harvest company in the country is helping growers see increased profits in the emerging biomass markets. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services that allow growers to further diversify their operations and experience additional revenue. PacificAg started in the residue management business nearly 20 years ago harvesting forage crops for feed in Oregon …
Corn Growers Pleased with Chinese Approval for Imports
Syngenta officially announced this week that Chinese regulatory officials have approved for the Agrisure Viptera® trait (event MIR162) formally granting import approval. The approval covers corn grain and processing byproducts, such as dried distillers grains (DDGs). The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased with the action. “We see this as an encouraging step in what needs to be an …
Jon Doggett Named NCGA Executive Vice President
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today announced the promotion of Jon Doggett to Executive Vice President, effective January 1. Doggett has served as Vice President of Public Policy since July 2002, where he directs all aspects of NCGA efforts involving the federal government. He was also named one of Washington’s Most Influential Lobbyists by The Hill newspaper. In his …
Economic Outlook at ASTA
Back again by popular demand this year at the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo was AgResource Company president Dan Basse giving his economic outlook for the year ahead. Basse says the protein side of the plate is doing very well right now, dairy and beef in particular, “so we call it the Year of the Cow” and while grain …
Commodity Classic Gets New Mobile App
Attendees of the upcoming Commodity Classic will have an easier time planning their schedules during the event. The mobile app, which can be downloaded from a variety of operating systems’ app stores, will give attendees fresh information on sponsors, trade show floor events, locations for sessions and exhibits, and other up-to-the-minute information on the nation’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and …
ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo Kicks Off
The American Seed Trade Association CSS 2014 and Seed Expo is officially underway in Chicago and possibly may be a record crowd this year. “We have a great participation this year,” said ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne. “Beginning of this week, we had over 2700 registrants and that’s almost 100 more than we finished with last year and we …
Meet the New USFRA Faces: Thomas Titus
If you get a chance to talk to one of the newest representatives in the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance’s (USFRA) Faces of Farming and Ranching program, you’ll certainly be taken by more than just Thomas Titus’ impressive height (6’8″!). You’ll hear just how enthusiastic he is to talk about the world of agriculture. “Talking about agriculture was something instilled …
NCGA President Discusses Issues
Transportation, trade, biotechnology, regulations, and soil health were just a few of the issues on the mind of National Corn Growers Association president Chip Bowling at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention. Talking transportation first, Bowling says they were surprised when the Army Corps of Engineers told them earlier this month that they would be closing the Mississippi …