The Iowa Corn Growers Association meets with various corn organizations from across the United States this week for its annual Corn Congress meeting.
During Corn Congress, the groups discuss policy and appoint members to serve on their board of director. Iowa Corn Growers Association Vice President Mark Recker said this year?s policy discussions are focused on crop insurance, export funding and the 2018 farm bill.
?Having a sound crop insurance program is an important safety net for a lot of producers, and we?re seeing its importance again this year as areas in the Midwest struggle with weather. Crop insurance will play a large role in helping sustain us. Also, funding programs like the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD) and Market Access Program (MAP), which is funded through the farm bill. These (programs) help move our products overseas, and it?s important that we have full funding for those programs,? Recker said.
Recker said the amount of funding made available through the 2018 farm bill worries some corn producers.
?We?re advocating for a fully funded farm bill that will help meet our priorities with crop insurance and funding for export programs,? Recker said. ?Hopefully withinthe next six months to a year, they (Congress) will work through this farm bill, and we?ll be able to see things that are positive for us.?
Recker said the group will also lobby for the ability to sell E15 year-round.
?Just like E10, we can sell E15 year round, which is very important to us because retailers would be more likely to sell E15, we?d sell more ethanol and ultimately, we?d grind more corn,? Recker said.
Corn Congress allows corn producing states a chance to get together and talk to members of Congress about what?s important to corn producers.
