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Corn Industry Update
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The following information represents a mixture of information, opinion, and
policy. The Daily Corn Industry Update is written primarily for corn producers and others in the corn industry. The goal is to bring issues to the forefront, track some of the accomplishments of the
Illinois Corn Growers Association and Illinois Corn Marketing Board, and generally get people to think a little about how corn affects their lives. Others may find it interesting too, but proceed at your own
risk. You may find out more about the uses for corn and the politics of agriculture than you really wanted to know!
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May 8 – CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION FIGHTING BACK: The Illinois Corn Growers Association will launch a new
radio advertising campaign next week that will tell the farmer’s side of the food and fuel story. The effort will feature ICGA President Art Bunting of Dwight and former ICGA President Steve Ruh of Sugar Grove.
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May 7 – ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON RENEWABLE FUELS: If you are a regular reader of these pages you have heard me
mention Robert Zubrin before. Zubrin is the author of "Energy Victory: Winning the War on Terror by Breaking Free of Oil." In today’s Chicago Tribune he joins forces with Gal Luft, executive
director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, to author a commentary on the food and fuel issue. Unlike many stories you are reading this one is very pro-ethanol and very insightful.
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May 6 - REP. JOHN SHIMKUS TURNED CORN WARRIOR: If you smelled something downwind today it may have been the smoke resulting from repeated attempts by corn-ethanol detractors to set corn and
ethanol on fire in Washington, DC. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing that started to sound like the Salem witch hunt, blaming ethanol for numerous
ills.
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MAY 5 - SUSPENDING RENEWABLE FUELS
STANDARD BENEFITS NO ONE BUT BIG OIL: Discussions in Washington,DC related to waiving the nation’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) are
ill-advised and would have serious unintended consequences that would result in higher fuel and food prices, according to the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA).
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May 2 – CARTOONIST SAYS A MOUTHFUL: Leave it to a guy that draws cartoons for a living to finally cut to the quick of the food price issue. The link to the cartoon below ran in the Wisconsin State Journal. The initial email I received noted it ran in the WSJ…slang in the trade for the Wall Street Journal. We should be so lucky. However, small steps count.
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May 1 – SOLUTION TO HIGH FOOD, FUEL PRICES IS MORE FOOD, MORE FUEL: Just when corn growers were starting to think the world has lost its mind, or at least its grip on reality regarding food prices, the pendulum
may be slowing if not swinging back the other way.
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April 30 – HAVE GRAIN MARKETS PEAKED: Lot’s of talk surround that questions these days and the traditional wisdom indicates they have not. Whether that is reality or a lot of corn
farmers standing in mud instead of planting time will tell.
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April 29, 2008 –THE STATE CORN
GROWER ASSOCIATIONS FROM ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MARYLAND, NEBRASKA, OHIO AND VIRGINIA SENT THE FOLLOWING LETTER YESTERDAY TO CONGRESS ASKING FOR A STRONG “ REVENUE BASED” SAFETY NET IN THE 2008 FARM BILL.
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April 25 - GOVERNOR OF TEXAS SEEKS HIGHER OIL PRICES: Texas Governor Rick Perry asked for a 50 percent waiver of
the recently passed Renewable Fuel Standard today, indicating that he hopes for higher gas prices than are already plaguing consumers. When asking USEPA for the waiver, he blamed global food prices and higher
feed costs on the production of corn-based ethanol.
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April 24 - MODERN DAY DAVID AND GOLIATH BATTLE UNDERWAY: If you are wondering about what agriculture, and Corn Growers specifically, are doing to combat the misinformation in the national media
regarding corn, ethanol and food prices….you are not alone. The short answer is plenty!
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