At the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention, Oklahoma Farm Report’s Maci Carter caught up with Neil Caskey, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) to cover many topics including the 2024 corn harvest, the farm bill, tax cuts, and more.
“We are going to have another really big crop,” Caskey said. “Now, the job at hand is to find markets for all of that corn. That is what we are committed to at the National Corn Growers Association.”
He said that the recent story for corn growers has been high inputs and low prices on their outputs. He hopes for an economic crisis relief fund from Congress for the time being, but the completion of an adequate farm bill would give growers the ongoing stability they need.
After that, he said the corn industry has to get into growth mode. “For us, that starts with passage of a year-round E-15 that will begin to grind more corn as we are producing more, and we need other legislative initiatives that will allow us to sell higher blends as well. That is how we are going to be dealing with the tough markets of today.”
About the completion of the farm bill, he said that it will be tough to accomplish in the lame duck session, so most are expecting an extension of some sort.
“Our biggest priority in the farm bill is crop insurance,” he said. “We want to improve Title I. We would love to see a greater investment in foreign market development programs for farmers, and voluntary conservation initiatives. We will be working with the new congress and administration to get all of that enacted.”
With the incoming Trump administration, Caskey said that corn growers are looking forward to reduced taxes and regulation. He added that Trump provided for year-round E-15 during his first term in office. “He has been supportive of biofuels, specifically ethanol, so we look forward to working with him and his administration to continue a lot of the good work that he did in his first term. We are very encouraged by what we will be able to do together.”
45-Z, one of the tax credits of discussion, will help make sustainable aviation fuel more competitive on the price points. Sustainable aviation fuel can be derived from ethanol or soy so the tax credit will help more than corn growers.
“We are very bullish on sustainable aviation fuel as a market opportunity, whether it is 45-Z or something else that will allow farmers to take advantage of that market opportunity, we are all for it,” Caskey said.
The corn industry is dependent upon strong export markets, with 15% to 20% of the annual product being sold to markets overseas. “We want to be able to sell our products, corn in all forms, to markets overseas and domestically, so that is a big focus of our work – ensuring that market access remains,” he concluded.
Going forward, he is looking forward to the NCGA Tradeshow and Convention known as the Commodity Classic in a few months. “I think that is a wonderful opportunity for all of the movers and shakers in agriculture to come together. We set our new policy for the new year and learn a lot about new technologies and innovations that will be available to farmers. This year, it is going to be in Denver at a brand new venue, so if you are a skier, this will be a must-see event.”
