I made my usual “quick” trip to National Farm Machinery Show last week. I always try to get in and out really quickly to see a few new things and have some brief discussions on new technology that I am in interested in – but inevitably, I run into some friends and end up closing the place down. I appreciate grassroots leaders from National Corn Growers Association from around the country for traveling in to stand alongside Kentucky Corn leaders at our booth.
We had policy experts and action team chairs from NCGA in the booth to talk on our two main legislative priorities for the coming year: Next Generation Fuels Act to continue forward movement on ethanol utilization, and Farm Bill reauthorization. We had countless discussions from corn farmers throughout the state about their needs in the next farm bill.
It is so important to have these conversations (and to enable NCGA leaders to hear them as well) leading up to Corn Congress, NCGA’s delegate session that occurs during Commodity Classic next month. This is where NCGA’s priorities will be formed and ratified in our official position document. It will guide our negotiations on behalf of corn farmers.
In addition to policy development on legislative issues, the National Farm Machinery Show is an incredible platform to advance our concerns on regulatory and trade issues. With so many ag media professionals in one place, we have ample opportunity to get messages out. Corn staff and leaders, both state and national, conducted nearly half a dozen media interviews during the show. Most of the interviews were focused on the decree from Mexico for a GMO ban that we have been battling since last summer.
This unlawful decree that is based on faulty science was set to begin in January 2024 but, just this week was set into motion early. It violates USMCA. This is a political exercise by Mexico’s president that does not seem to even have the support of the consumers or end-users who are doing the purchasing in his own country. We must keep banging the drum on this because Mexico is our number one export customer, accounting for 670 million bushels per year. It affects more than our Mexico relationship; it could open a pandora’s box of exploiting bad science against us for essentially every trade negotiation we undertake across the globe.
If you are like me, the conclusion of National Farm Machinery Show marks the start of things getting serious on the farm about preparation for planting. Seed is arriving, we are rotating equipment into and out of the shop for calibrations. It is an exciting time. I wish everyone a safe and bountiful crop season. We will have some issues this year that we will need to mobilize grassroots for ensuring we have the best markets possible, and we have freedom to operate without extreme and unnecessary restrictions that many anti-agriculture advocates may propose – so keep an eye out for Action Alerts. But most importantly, stay safe as you begin to get equipment rolling this spring.