NCB Director Elected to USMEF Executive Committee: Mark Jagels, NCB farmer-director from Davenport, NE was recently elected to the US Meat Export Federation’s (USMEF) Executive Committee. Jagels was elected during the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference that was held in early November. Jagels will serve a three year term representing the grain and oilseed sector. The NCB has been a long term supporter of USMEF, whose function is to promote US red meat worldwide.

NCB Director Sees Firsthand EU Parliament: Bob Dickey, NCB farmer-director from Laurel, NE was part of Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman’s Trade Mission to the EU. Main stops on the trade mission included Brussels and London, and the highlight of the trip was seeing firsthand the EU Parliament. During the mission, Governor Heineman, Nebraska Department of Agriculture director Greg Ibach and UNL professor in the Center for Plant Science Innovation Dr. Sally Mackenzie testified and answered questions before the EU Parliament Committee on Agricultural and Rural Development on the topic of GMO.
NCB Chairman Presents Perspective During Ethanol Forum: Jon Holzfaster, chairman and farmer-director of the NCB was part of a panel presentation during an ethanol forum in Omaha in which Jon presented the background of corn producers’ push for ethanol and the press that corn-ethanol has been receiving lately. Also on the panel was Nebraska Cattlemen’s executive director Michael Kelsey, Nebraska Ethanol Board chairman, Jim Jenkins and director of UNL’s Center for Energy Sciences Research, Dr. Ken Cassman.

Corn’s Dilemma, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly: NCB executive director Don Hutchens has recently given presentations to various organizations and associations on the past and recent dilemmas that corn has been going through. From the increased demand brought on by record exports and the ethanol industry, to seeing corn prices drop by over 50%, to hearing the corn industry being blamed for increasing food prices, the corn industry has seen it all over the past year.

Corn Harvest in the Home Stretch: According to the Nebraska field office of the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), 82% of Nebraska’s corn crop is harvested. Although delayed from last year and the five-year average, a favorable weather outlook should allow harvest to wrap up over the next two weeks. NASS did not adjust Nebraska’s yield or production from last month and is still estimating 161 bushels per acre and 1.38 billion bushels of production. 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.