July 1 is Canada Day, the national day of Canada. The holiday celebrates the anniversary of July 1, 1867, the effective date of the Constitution Act, 1867, which united the three separate colonies of the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada.
Canada is an incredibly valuable trading partner for American corn farmers. Our northern neighbors are the No. 9 international buyer of U.S. corn, No. 8 buyer of U.S. DDGs and No. 2 buyer of U.S. ethanol. Canada purchased more than $2 billion worth of feed grains in all forms during the 2017/2018 marketing year.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) strengthened this important trading relationship, tripling U.S. agriculture exports to Canada over the past 20 years. Now, through the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), we have an opportunity to solidify this relationship further.
Ratifying USMCA continues to be NCGA’s top legislative priority. The new trade agreement will solidify a $4.5 billion export market and provide some certainty to farmers currently facing a perfect storm of challenges. Ratifying USMCA will also instill confidence in other nations that the United States is a reliable partner and supplier, ensuring U.S. agriculture remains competitive for generations to come.
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
