NCGA hosted officials from the Irish Department of Agriculture this week to discuss U.S. grain channeling systems and biotechnology. From left to right: NCGA Director of Biotechnology Paul Bertels; Kyd Brenner, DTB Associates; Richard Hackett, Ireland Department of Agriculture Feed Division; Deirdre Webb Ireland Grain and Feed Association; and Liam Hyde Ireland Department of Agriculture Feed Division..

NCGA Hosts Irish Officials in Illinois, St. Louis (9-14-06)

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) hosted officials from the Ireland Department of Agriculture this week to emphasize U.S. grain goes through proper channels to ensure it meets European Union (EU) approval.

Richard Hackett and Liam Hyde of the Ireland Department of Agriculture’s Feed Division and Deirdre Webb of the Ireland Grain and Feed Association visited NCGA Corn Board member Garry Niemeyer’s farm Tuesday in Glenarm, Ill., and then visited NCGA offices in St. Louis Wednesday. Kyd Brenner of DTB Associates accompanied the Irish officials on the trip.

The officials came to the United States to learn more about Pioneer and Dow AgroSciences’ Herculex Rootworm technology and discuss American grain channeling systems. Although this product has full U.S. and Japanese approvals, it is still under review in the EU.

The EU is a leading market for corn gluten feed (CGF), and a growing market for distillers dried grains (DDG). To protect the EU feed market, many wet mills will not accept grain produced from Herculex Rootworm hybrids. Likewise, ethanol dry mills that may export DDGs to the EU may also refuse to accept this grain.

“They are concerned about Herculex Rootworm corn getting into the mix of corn going to Ireland and wanted to learn more about the U.S. systems that farmers use to market corn,” said Niemeyer. “We reassured them that U.S. systems should prevent that from happening.”

Niemeyer also discussed the American Seed Trade Association’s Market Choices program and NCGA’s Insect Resistance Management, Know Before You Grow and Know Where To Go sections of www.ncga.com. He told the Irish officials that growers use these tools to help them build their marketing programs.

NCGA Director of Biotechnology Paul Bertels spoke to the group in St. Louis about the U.S. channeling systems and biotechnology.

“We want to reassure our customers in the EU that the U.S. grain industry is working together at all levels—growers, processors, and exporters—to only channel corn and corn products that have been approved,” said Bertels. “We want our growers to have access to new biotech events and continue to protect existing markets.”

Through June 2006, CGF exports to the EU totaled 1.1 million metric tones and $104 million. DDG exports totaled 175 thousand metric tonnes and $16 million.

In 2005, the United States shipped 2.5 million metric tonnes of CGF to the EU, totaling $210 million, or 89 percent of all U.S. corn gluten feed exports. The EU imported 570 thousand metric tonnes in 2005, totaling 54 of all U.S. DDG exports.