The economic headwinds corn farmers faced heading into this year were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is actively working to rebuild demand by exploring new incremental opportunities for America’s corn farmers. In partnership with AimPoint Research and our primary customer segments, NCGA is developing a short-term demand growth plan that sets the table for long-term success.
“Every day, our main focus is to drive demand and find markets for America’s corn farmers to ensure they are successful year after year,” said NCGA President Kevin Ross. “I don’t have to tell you, this year is unlike any other I’ve experienced in my career, which is why we have to think outside the box and deliver quick wins for corn farmers. That’s why we’ve engaged with AimPoint and our key partners to help us optimize our demand building efforts moving forward.”
The process of evaluating potential market opportunities started with an intelligence briefing and level setting exercise. In the coming weeks, committees will do a deep dive to develop potential solution sets with analysis for each potential market for corn. By December, a full marketing plan by segment will be unveiled.
The primary areas of growth potential are ethanol usage domestically and internationally, expanded export markets for corn and co-products, and industrial segments such as biobased plastics.
“We are grateful our industry partners are collaborating with us to help us identify potential short-term solutions to grind more corn,” said Ross. “Animal agriculture and ethanol have been two of our primary drivers of consistent growth over the years. It is important for checkoffs to work together to continue to find new and innovative uses of our commodities.”
To learn more about this initiative, visit ncga.com/growth. For additional information on what NCGA has already been doing to drive demand, click here.
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.
