Page 14—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 17,1993
Corn Growers Announce Results
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Members of National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA)
plan to plant about 2 percent
fewer com acres in 1993, com
pared with 1992, but more plan
to emphasize environmentally
sound practices such as no-till
and reduced fertilizer inputs,
according to a Gallup survey
released recently by NCGA.
The survey, conducted in
February, shows that farmer
members plan to plant 463.3
acres of com compared with
473.1 acres iin 1992. The
results were based on inter
views with 507 com farmers in
30 states.
A weighted sample indicates
that 44 percent plan to use no
till this year, compared with 39
percent in 1992. No-till prac
tices conserve topsoil and
reduce runoff into streams. In
addition, most plan no increase
in fertilizer application; 11 per
cent plan to reduce fertilizer
inputs.
If the survey of NCGA
members is applied to total
U.S. com acreage, plantings in
1993 would slip to 77.8 million
acres. According to USDA,
79.3 million acres of com were
planted in teh U.S. in 1992.
Other results include:
*lO percent plan to grow
specialty com in 1993.
*ln 1992, 39 percent of the
members dedicated more than
25 percent of their acreage to
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♦Members average corn
yield in 1992 was 142.3
bushels per acre, compared
with the national average of
131.4 bushels per year
♦ln 1993, 65 percent plan to
forward price a portion of their
com crop.
♦Members currently using a
marketing consulting service
include 29 percent.
♦B4 percent think govern
ment policy should promote
the use of com for ethanol.
The survey, in addition to
checking economic and plant
ing trends, examined environ
mental attitudes of growers.
Results show that growers feel
they are in a Cath-22 situation
regarding the environment and
the public’s perception of
them.
“Seventy-three (73) percent
said they would use more
environmentally benign herbi
cides, even if they had to sacri
fice some weed control,” said
Randy Cruise, NCGA presi
dent and a farmer from Plea
santon, NE. “Eighty-four (84)
percent said they feel unfairly
perceived as poor environmen
tal stewards. They feel con
strained to use existing pro
ducts because environmentally
superior products are not avail
able. The growers surveyed
estimated their yield would be
reduced by one-third if they
quit using pesticides.”
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PENNSYLVANIA MASTER CORN GROWERS ASSOC., INC.
Swine & Poultry Systems Specialists IHM
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717-866-7565
“Not surprisingly, 90 per
cent said the Environmental
Protection Agency should
move more quickly to decide
on registering pesticides with
environmental and toxicologi
cal improvements,” Cruise told
reporters.
Several new products are
pending registration at EPA.
Many of these have very low
use rates and favorable envir
onmental and safety properties.
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24 Hr. Service
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MYERSTOWN. PA 17067
Corn grower members
showed significant support for
the development of new uses
for their abundant commodity.
“The farmers indicated new
use development is the highest
priority for NCGA programs
and farm programs, which
reinforces our commitment to
market development,” Cruise
said.
One industry group esti
mates total food, seed and
industrial use for com will
increase from 1.485 billion
bushels in 1992 to 2.378 billion
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bushels by the year 2001. That
assumes a renewed focus on
new products by com farmers,
industry and government.
NCGA’s board of farmer
directors were in Washington,
DC, during this, National Agri
culture Week, canvassing Con
gress with com grower per
spective on issues including
ethanol and President Clinton’s
economic plan.
NCGA conducted the Gal
lup survey in conjunction with
Doane Agricultural Services
Company.
Here are the dryers for the
farmer who has more to do
- .at harvest than just dry
gram.
The new CF/AB Series from
Farm Fans are designed to
allow drying by either CON
TINUOUS FLOW or AUTO
MATIC BATCH modes
These dryers are specifically
designed for full heat appli
cation for combination drying
■4 and dryeration However,
when operating AUTO
MATIC BATCH, you can also
„ ’ __ select Dry and Cool
application.
.PH.