Robert (Bob) Shearer of Mount Joy, placed first in the state conventional non-irrigated division with Pioneer® brand 8282. The winning grain sorghum yield was 75.02 bushels per acre. Shearer was recognized recently by Pio neer Hi-Bred International, Inc., during the NGSP annual conference in Corpus Christ!, Texas. From left, Carol Bannon, Pioneer agronomy manager in the Eastern Sales Area with Doreen and Bob Shearer. THE POWER Introducing the all-new 50 Series Combines Experience harvesting like never before! • Four new walker combines offer important refinements and unbeatable value. • Revolutionary STS Combines feature exclusive John Deere single tine-separation system for remarkable threshing and separating capacity in high-yield crops and tough conditions. • Enjoy sensational comfort, all-new harvesting control, plus improved convenience. Choose The Model To Meet Your Needs: • 9450 Walker • 9650 Walker • 9550 Walker • 9650 STS • 9550 Sidehill Walker • 9750 STS • 4 Row, 6 Row, 8 Row, 12 Row Corn Heads • 15’, 18’, 20’, 22’, 25’, 30’ Platforms John Deere 9550 Walker In Stock Shearer Tops NGSP Yield Contest DES MOINES, lowa Robert Shearer, Mount Joy, Pa., was recognized recently as a 1999 National Grain Sor ghum Producers (NGSP) Yield Contest winner. The award presentation was made Feb. 20 during the NGSP annual conference in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 14th annual NGSP Yield Contest recognized 100 state winners and 15 national winners in six divisions: non irrigated and irrigated con ventional tillage, non irrigated no-till, non irrigated and irrigated mulch-till, and irrigated ridge-til). As a third-time NGSP t Coi • Enormous capacity and unsurpassed grain savings put more bushels in the bin, more dollars on your bottom line. • Exceptional cleaning performance and grain quality help you earn more for every bushel. • Stop by today! We have the full performance story on the entire 50 Series family. Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Octol I ft m yield contestant, Shearer placed first in the state con ventional non-irrigated divi sion. Pioneer® brand 8282 gave him the winning grain sorghum yield of 75.02 bush els per acre. Shearer farms with his wife, Doreen, their two sons, Bobby, 15, and Michael, 12, and their daughter, Ashley, 9. The Shearers’ operation also Corn Growers Ready To Embrace Opportunities Offered By ibines (DdDEM 'fMsE mwm Normalized Trade WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and its 32,000 farmer members welcomed news of the lon g-awaited Senate vote in favor of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) for China. “This vote brings American agri culture one step closer to being able to capitalize on the opportunities that will be created by China’s ad mission to the World Trade Organi zation (WTO),” said NCGA President Lynn Jensen, who farms near Lake Preston, S.D. Under the groundbreaking WTO accession agreement negotiated last year, China consented to eliminate export subsidies and significantly improve market access for a wide variety of U.S. food and agriculture products. In return, the U.S. agreed to grant China PNTR status. “Quite simply, this is a great one way deal for U.S. agriculture. We gain access to the largest market in the world and we give up nothing in return,” Jensen said. As part of the accession agree ment, China has committed to es tablish a tariff rate quota (TRQ) for corn. In its first year of WTO mem bership, China has agreed to allow access for 4.5 million metric tons (177 million bushels) of corn. That level is set to increase to 7.2 million metric tons (283 million bushels) by the fourth year. “This will give U.S. farmers the opportunity to build markets, rather than wait for China to let U.S. corn in,” Jensen explained. “But perhaps the most exciting provision is China’s commitment to eliminate export subsidies,” he said. “In recent years, China has in creased its corn production in re sponse to high domestic support prices and has exported the result ing surpluses at the expense of U.S. corn farmers. If China no longer subsidizes its exports, U.S. corn will be very competitive in markets that have been buying subsidized Chi nese corn,” he said. “The nation’s corn growers are gratified that both chambers of Con gress have now voted to give us open access to the all-important Chinese market, rather than pandering to the protectionists who refuse to rec ognize that we operate in a global economy,” Jensen said. includes corn, barley, and hogs. Not all fields have the same production capacity, so management decisions in cluding seed selection and ir rigation play a large role in determining grain sorghum yield, said John Muenzen berger, sorghum product manager at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. ’age soybeans,