Immediate Release:
Monday, June 02, 2008
Nebraska Corn Board contacts:
Don Hutchens: 800.632.6761
Nebraska Corn Checkoff Update May 2008
Exposing the ethanol smear campaign: The Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association issued a joint news release expressing appreciation for a bipartisan group of Senators who spoke out against a misinformation campaign that targets corn producers and the corn ethanol industry as being behind a rise in food prices. The campaign was launched by the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “Study after study has demonstrated that high fuel and energy prices are a major factor in higher food prices. If you take away ethanol, fuel prices will increase even more and food prices will follow,” said Jon Holzfaster, a corn and cattle producer from Paxton, Neb., and chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board. “That is one of the important points the Senators made, and we couldn’t agree more.” To view the entire news release, and the previous release, “Biting the hand that feeds you”, go to http://www.nebraskacorn.org/newsroom/newsreleases.htm.
Chairman of the EU Parliament’s Ag Committee Visits Nebraska: Dave Nielsen, NCB member from rural Lincoln and Kelly Brunkhorst ag promotion manager, attended the tour and presentations attended by Neil Parish, who is the chairman of the EU Parliament’s Ag Committee. Mr. Parish was being hosted by the NE Dept of Agriculture. The NCB helped co-sponsor an evening dinner and lunch on Friday with the NE Beef Council and First National Bank. Tour stops included the ARDC, Senator Ron Raikes feedlot and Claas. Presentations included carbon sequestration, GMO, conservation tillage and insect management.
EU Chef’s Team to Nebraska: NCB hosted a twelve member EU’s chef’s team on May 20th during their visit to Nebraska. The U.S. Meat Export Federation sponsored the twelve member EU Chef’s team’s visit to Nebraska. During their stay the team enjoyed a meal featuring some of Nebraska’s finest corn fed meats in addition to a meat cutting class held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The NCB recognized the egg industry in Nebraska during Egg Month: Currently Nebraska is the eighth-largest egg producer in the country – producing some 3 billion eggs each year from about 10 million laying hens. The egg industry contributes about $100 million to the Nebraska economy each year and part of that contribution is the consumption of more than 10 million bushels of corn and the growing usage of distillers grains. The state’s egg industry employs more than 1,000 people, with many located in rural communities.
May is Beef Month: Nebraska’s beef industry is the number one consumer of corn and corn co-products such as distillers grains and, therefore, is top of mind for Nebraska’s corn producers. Nebraska is the third-largest corn producing state in the nation and the second-largest ethanol producer. The state is also the second largest beef cattle state. Combined, this makes the synergy between the commodities quite dynamic. “There is no state in the nation or any place in the world that is better situated to take advantage of the corn to ethanol to distillers grains to beef opportunity than Nebraska".
Hutchens and other state’s executives in Argentina and Brazil: Nine state executives, including Don Hutchens, executive director of the NCB traveled to Argentina and Brazil to gain a better understanding of the evolving changes that are developing both in Brazil and Argentina as they relate to corn, ethanol and red meat production. The comprehensive trip agenda included meetings with a number of sugar cane/ethanol producers, pork processing facility, beef feedlots, meat processors and grain merchandisers.
Nebraska Corn Checkoff Update is published monthly for corn industry leaders and others in Nebraska. For more information, call: 1.800.NECORN1 (632-6761) or send an e-mail to NCB.Info@nebraska.gov. Additional information can be found at the Nebraska Corn Board’s website, www.nebraskacorn.org.
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