St. Louis, Missouri
May 28, 2009
The
National Corn Growers Association
(NCGA) today thanked President Obama for his statement that
advanced renewable transportation fuels will be one of the
nation’s most important industries of the 21st Century, and that
corn-based ethanol must remain viable to achieve this vision.
“With oil prices on the rise, ethanol’s critical role in the
U.S. economy, especially promoting energy security, is more
important than ever,” NCGA President Bob Dickey said. “We are
pleased to hear the president’s clear statement of corn-based
ethanol’s pivotal role in the nation’s future energy strategy,
and we will continue to make sure the Administration understands
the current and future value of corn ethanol.”
In his May 27 letter to the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition,
President Obama noted that improved energy efficiency combined
with biofuels provide “the primary near-term option for
insulating consumers against future oil shocks and for lowering
the transportation sector’s carbon footprint.”
“The president clearly believes first-generation biofuels have
an important role to play in meeting our energy needs,” Dickey
said. “This also reinforces his previous position that
artificial barriers to market expansion need to be addressed in
order for large volumes of renewable fuels to find a place in
America’s transportation fuels system.”
The ethanol industry has experienced robust growth, and today
produces 10 billion gallons of clean, renewable ethanol while
providing more than $20 billion in economic activity and
supporting or creating nearly 500,000 jobs here in the United
States.
Increasing yields and record corn crops on the nation’s farms
have made this ethanol growth possible while continuing to
service all its customers in the feed, food, and fuel markets
both in the United States and abroad.
Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)
represents approximately 35,000 dues-paying corn growers and the
interests of more than 300,000 farmers who contribute through
corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its 48
affiliated state associations and checkoff organizations work
together to help protect and advance corn growers’ interests. |
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