IN THIS ISSUE:

• NCGA Praise President Bush for Pro-Ethanol National Energy Plan
• NCGA Urges Congressional Action on Farm Bill, Renewable Energy Policy
• NCGA Push for Expedient Action on Farm Bill
• NCGA Urges Farmers to Tell Congress: Pass TPA
• NCGA Excitement Growing along with Ethanol Production
• NCGA See Benefits of Doha Meeting
• NCGA's Tolman Talks Trade and Farm Bill with Texas Corn Growers
• St. Louis a Hub of NCGA Activity as BWG, Action Teams, Corn Board Meets
• NCGA Recruiters 'Meet Me in St. Louis'

NCGA Praise President Bush for Pro-Ethanol National Energy Plan
President George W. Bush, in remarks made to Farm Journal's Sixth Annual Forum in Washington, DC, emphasized the importance of ethanol to national security, the environment and the farm economy. (More On This Story)

NCGA Urges Congressional Action on Farm Bill, Renewable Energy Policy
In a letter co-signed by the ASA, the NCGA urges Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) to "complete action this year on two legislative priorities that are vital to America's farmers and to our rural economy." (More On This Story)

Corn Growers Push for Expedient Action on Farm Bill
Earlier this week, the NCGA and the ASA sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-SD, and Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-MS., advising them to complete action on the farm bill this year, unencumbered by non-germane issues. (More On This Story)

DID YOU KNOW??
http://www.ncga.com/ offers up-to-date Ag News, Weather and Market information. Customize weather information to your local area. Check it out!

NCGA Urges Farmers to Tell Congress: Pass TPA
Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), or "Fast Track" as it was previously called, has made frequent appearances in the headlines lately. The NCGA has been a staunch proponent of TPA and is encouraging producers to tell Congress to give this international marketing tool to President George W. Bush. (More On This Story)

NCGA Excitement Growing along with Ethanol Production
The RFA recently announced that the U.S. ethanol industry set an all-time monthly production record last month. The previous record of 116,000 barrels per day set in February of 2001 and tied in September, fell, as October production levels reached 121,000 barrels per day. According to the RFA, October, 2001, production was up almost 10 percent from the comparable calendar period of last year.

"Ethanol accounts for usage of some 675 million bushels of corn, and is a major customer of the grain farmer," said Boyd Smith, a York, Neb., corn farmer, and chairman of the NCGA Ethanol Marketing Committee. "As we reach our goal to implement a Renewable Fuels Standard, and as more states phase out MTBE, and replace it with ethanol, we will see even more of a market share for corn in the energy sector." Bob Dinneen, the president of RFA, said, "Over the next year more than a dozen new plants will come on line and several expansions will be completed. Growing the domestic ethanol industry creates American jobs, increases rural economic investment, and enhances our energy security. The ethanol industry is determined to continue this record pace of growth and production."

In a statement released on Tuesday by NCGA, the Corn Growers welcomed President George W. Bush's pro-ethanol remarks made during a speech to the Farm Journal Sixth Annual Forum, and noted with encouragement the President's advocacy for a national energy policy that includes renewable fuels. During his remarks, the President pointed to ethanol's role in homeland security and made positive reference to the economic and environmental benefits of renewable fuels.

Corn Growers See Benefits of Doha Meeting
The recent WTO meeting in Doha, Qatar, paved the way for both China and Taiwan's accession into the WTO. But what does this mean for agriculture and corn growers? Potentially, it means billions of dollars in new trade opportunities. (More On This Story)

NCGA's Tolman Talks Trade and Farm Bill with Texas Corn Growers
NCGA CEO and Executive Vice President Rick Tolman is heading to the Lone Star State to discuss issues affecting Texas corn growers and the entire NCGA. (More On This Story)

DID YOU KNOW??
http://www.ncga.com/ provides a complete guide to state web sites and contact information. Click the drop-down listing on the front page to visit state web sites.

St. Louis a Hub of NCGA Activity as BWG, Action Teams, Corn Board Meets
Members and grower leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) converged on St. Louis this week for their first meetings of Fiscal Year 2002. Groups meeting in the Gateway City include the Biotech Working Group (BWG), the four Action Teams (Customer Service and Business Development, Grower Services, Production and Stewardship, and Public Policy) and the Corn Board. Also meeting in St. Louis are 25 state representatives here to attend a seminar on improving recruitment and retention techniques. (More On This Story)

NCGA Recruiters 'Meet Me in St. Louis'
The backbone of any good organization is quality membership. Currently, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has quality in abundance with 32,000 members who represent over 300,000 corn growers across the nation. There is, however, always room for more. That is the focus of a membership recruitment kickoff meeting taking place today in St. Louis. (More On This Story)

NCGA THIS WEEK

• Dec. 2-4 NCGA Strategic Marketing and Communications Manager Gary Bradley will be in Baltimore, Md., attending the Management and Technology Conference
• Dec. 2-3 NCGA Production and Marketing Director Paul Bertels will be in Indianapolis, IN attending the World Grain Workshop
• Dec. 4-5 NCGA Vice President of Marketing Brian Stockman will be in Columbus, Ohio taking part in the Ohio Call-a-Thon
• Dec. 5-7 NCGA Director of Development Tom Slunecka will be in Chicago, Ill., attending the ASTA 2001 Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Seed Research Conferences
• Dec. 5-6 NCGA Director of Research and Development Rene Shunk will be in Muscatine, Iowa attending a 1,3-propanediol review meeting