JOHNSTON — The Iowa Corn Growers Association will be working with lawmakers to promote policies and programs important to corn growers and to monitor any policy that could hurt farmers.
€¨Â€¨In late August, representatives of ICGA reinstated expiring policies and adopted new resolutions at their annual meeting and policy conference in Des Moines.€¨Â€¨
"Input from ICGA members is the cornerstone of our legislative process," said Roger Zylstra, a farmer from Lynnville and the organization's president. "It is important that corn growers from across the state are engaged in policy decisions that affect their operations."€¨Â€¨
The ICGA has established the top legislative priorities at the state and federal levels for 2014. The priorities include:
Biodiesel: Support the extension of current production tax credit for biodiesel plants.
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Checkoff: Raise the legislative cap to the corn checkoff so that farmers can choose by referendum whether they want a corn checkoff increase.
Conservation: Implementation of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy — funding, revisions and monitoring.
Iowa Department of Agriculture: Funding for budget requests (state veterinarian, conservation and fuels.
Ethanol: Support a legislative resolution of the Iowa House and Senate in support of the federal RFS, to be submitted to Environmental Protection Agency, as well as support for an extension or increase of current income tax credits and fuel tax differential for ethanol.
Livestock: Support for the livestock industry and the existing laws regulating livestock operations and support for increased funding for the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Research: Increased funding ISU Experiment Station and other agriculture-related research.
€¨Â€¨Property tax: support maintaining the agriculture productivity formula.
Transportation: Increased funding, including fuel tax increase for roads and bridges. €¨Â€¨
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The 2014 federal-level priorities include:
Biotechnology: Support and defend the use of genetically modified crops.
€¨Â€¨Environment: Defend against Environmental Protection Agency water quality issues.
Ethanol: Support for retaining Renewable Fuel Standard - Defense against EPA's 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations and Congressional action. Support for higher blends for conventional cars (E15+) including regulatory issues
Farm Bill: Pass farm bill and retain current structure and funding level for crop insurance. Protect/maintain Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development.
Research: Support agricultural research for corn, corn products, and agriculture.
Taxes: Extend expiring agricultural tax credits or make permanent.
Transportation: Support for appropriation for Mississippi River lock and dams, including the Water Resources Reform and Development Act and barge fuel tax.
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€¨Â€¨In late February, delegates from Iowa and other states will come together at the National CornGrowers Association Commodity Classic to set and establish NCGA policy.€¨Â€¨
The complete 2013 to 14 Iowa Corn Growers Association state and federal policy resolution book can be found online at www.iowacorn.org/policy.۬
