NCGA Discusses Goals, Opportunities with Animal Ag Coalition (8-1-06)

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), as a member of the Animal Ag Coalition, met with key stakeholders in the livestock industry in St. Louis last week to discuss future goals of the coalition and outline some challenges facing the industry.

NCGA Production and Stewardship Action Team Chairman Bill Chase and Director of Production, Stewardship and Livestock Max Starbuck attended the meeting. National livestock interest groups, national and state commodity groups and several related industry interest groups also attended the meeting. The United Soybean Board initiated the coalition in order to promote the livestock industry.

Chase said he was impressed with the coalition and believes NCGA should remain a part of it.

“Animal agriculture is extremely important to corn farmers,” said Chase, who is a corn and livestock producer in South Dakota. “The coalition has extremely talented people working toward the benefit of animal agriculture. Their ability to strategize was amazing. I was overwhelmed by the talent at the meeting and the group’s desire to see animal ag go forward. NCGA’s participation in this coalition is certainly worthwhile.”

The livestock sector is corn growers’ largest market. More than 55 percent of the 2005 corn crop is being by livestock.

The coalition is in the early stages of formation, and the group met to outline goals and opportunities on ways to improve and advance the livestock industry in the United States. One issue the coalition talked about was ways to counter local laws intending to limit concentrated animal feedings operations and expansion of existing family-operated livestock farms. Considerable discussion centered on activities of animal adversarial organizations and how animal agriculture can respond.

Chase said the coalition is broad based, bringing together several commodity groups and all livestock species, in addition to industrial partners.

“I think it’s imperative to get together to promote animal ag or else it will get away from us,” Chase said. “Everyone has a stake in this coalition, and it is important to see animal ag succeed.”