Above: NCGA President Ron Litterer, left, and Chairman Ken McCauley, center, speak with Wall Street Journal editorial board writer Joseph Rago.  Editorial board member Mary Anastasia O'Grady, not pictured, was also in attendance. Below: Litterer and McCauley meet with New York Times editorial board writers Robert Semple, Jr., left, and Eduardo Porter, right.

NCGA Executives in New York for Editorial Board Visits (3-28-08)

National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Ron Litterer and Chairman Ken McCauley travelled to New York City Thursday for editorial board visits with the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Their mission: to educate the editorial boards on key issues affecting corn growers such as ethanol, corn production and the farm bill.  Litterer and McCauley also took the opportunity to set the record straight on the food and fuel debate.

“Ken and I were successful in creating a healthy dialogue with the editorial board writers,” said Litterer. “We discussed how corn growers can produce enough corn to meet the growing demand for food, feed and fuel.”

Ken McCauley was also pleased with the outcome of both meetings.  “I felt good about our discussions on renewable fuels,” said McCauley. “Ron and I emphasized that energy has a greater impact on food prices than does the price of corn.”

In the discussion with the newspapers, Litterer and McCauley focused on the need for a revenue proposal in the farm bill—one that adapts to the volatile marketplace. When asked about farm support programs, Litterer noted, “NCGA wants to move away from price support programs to a risk management option.”

NCGA plans to continue meeting with members of the top news media outlets nationwide.  Next month, the focus shifts to the West Coast.