The new president of the nation’s leading corn association says growers face many challenges and he will rely on advice his father gave him.
His dad’s advice was to address all questions and resolve them as a team, said National Corn Growers Association President Chris Edgington, Mt. Ansgar, Iowa, who started his duties on Oct. 1. His diversified farm includes his father and brother and his wife and their son. Chris Edgington spoke to members of the ag media on Oct. 5.
Working together is a commitment, he said, adding “making family farms like ours better is what drives me.”
That is why he ran for the corn board and later as president of NCGA. His primary goal is to make the NCGA the best team it can be and that means focusing on priorities and improving upon them. Those priorities include growing demand for farmers’ products, protecting profitability of the business and building trust in sustainable production methods.
He is supportive of the Next Generation Fuels Act because it will increase demand for corn used for ethanol. The legislation increases gasoline octane to a minimum standard through low-carbon, renewable fuels.
“Working together we can get this passed,” he said.
He also notes that producers need to work together to stop the threat of higher taxes that hurt profitability. Congress is looking at plans that can raise taxes by removing the stepped up basis gain, raising capital gains taxes, lowering inheritance levels and lowering the threshold for the 1031 exchange on real estate. IRS allows a producer to postpone paying taxes on a gain if he invests proceeds in similar property to what is tied to the 1031 exchange.
“It’s going to take all of us in agriculture working together to persuade them to drop this bad idea,” he said. “I believe we can get this done.”
Edgington believes farmers should share their stories of seasonal corn production with value chain partners and policy-makers in Washington, D.C. Drought was the story of 2021 for his family operation, he said, although timely moisture came in July to help both corn and soybean crops.
The corn harvest appears to be an average year in terms of yields ranging from 150 to 200 bushels per acre, with quite a few fields touching around 200 bushels per acre, which was down from a year ago but similar to what other growers in his region report. One notable experience was a 150-acre field that conditions were so tough it took two combines several days to pick corn.
The soybean harvest looks like it could produce an above average crop. Farmers in the area have also reported yields of 50 to 60 bushels per acre with some touching in the upper-60s to lower 70 bushels per acre.
Farmers will continue to be faced with many challenges and ideas for solving problems will range from good, to bad to anywhere in-between, he said.
“My approach to solving these problems hasn’t changed a bit from what my dad taught me long ago; we’ll act together as a team because working together works,” he said, also commending ag media because it is a partner to helping to tell the story.
Challenges
American farmers and other industries are tremendous producers and they depend on global markets, Edgington said, plus agriculture is also a reliable partner.
He wants the Biden administration to be proactive in trade. Long-term agreements, including with Mexico and Canada, have been updated. “China is obviously the wild card,” he said, adding in the past year China has been a big purchaser of U.S. farm products.
The biggest growth potential he believes is southeast Asia, and he expects to continue to work with European Union to open markets.
Edgington applauded Growth Energy and other partners who have championed E-15. He said the product is good for consumers and environments. He remains a strong believer that E-15 should be available to consumers on a year-round basis.
When Biden ran for president he made a commitment to rural constituents to deliver on renewable fuels and while 2020 cut fuel consumption because of COVID-19, it is much different this year and 15 billion gallons is a standard that should be met, Edgington said. Renewable fuels is a technology available today and can help address climate change and lower the cost of driving for consumers.
Electric vehicles have a place in the market, he said, but there are places where they don’t fit, and renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are immediately available. That is why the story of renewables needs to continue to be shared with the public, he said.
Producers are expected to continue to see increasing costs for fertilizer, he said, adding it is being compounded by tight supplies. Corn farmers may consider planting more soybeans, wheat or cutting back on how much fertilizer they apply.
“If you are going to raise corn you are going to need some form of nitrogen,” he said.
Overall, the supply is not keeping up with demand and producers may face the same dilemma well into next year, he said.
Edgington likes the approach of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, who has demonstrated he is a good listener and believes Regan wants to work with producers. While farmers were united against the Waters of the United States rule they have also been supportive of the EPA on renewable fuels.
Having robust discussions with EPA whether they are challenges or opportunities is important to him.
Edgington replaces central Ohio farmer John Linder who served as NCGA president the past year.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
