NAMA News March 2008
| Inside this Issue NAMA Leadership/Executive Committee Meetings – May 6-7 2008 Division Meeting presentations available online Soft red winter wheat crop to be largest since 1989 Wheat flour consumption on the move up Registration now open for the 49th Annual Corn Dry Milling Conference NAMA co-sponsors National Ag Day Congressional Hunger Center 15th anniversary gala March for Babies fights prematurity for its sixth year Invitation to participate in wheat tours NAMA presses on biotech issues FUSARIUM FOCUS - Volume 8, Issue 1 NAMA in the news | Reflections
100 Years Ago Freeman Courier March 19, 1908 "The millers of South Dakota do not want any more "bearded" wheat. They claim that this variety of wheat makes poor flour and they urge farmers not to raise it. A millers agent doing a large business in Chicago writes the secretary of the Millers Association as follows: “We note carefully the content of your circular in regard to bearded wheat and we can endorse it fully. That what is certainly a cure to the milling business. We have been up against trouble on account of it in several different instances. Flours made entirely from that character of wheat are practically unsalable here. Buyers simply won’t touch them at any price, and where flours contain a mixture of it, even a slight mixture, it knocks off from 10 to 50 cents per barrel. It seems to kill anything that it is mixed with. It works all right in the dough for about two minutes, then gets wet, sticky and sloppy, with absolutely no come back to it at all. You can’t condemn it too strongly.” (submitted to NAMA News by Gordon Brockmueller, an oat grower from Freeman, South Dakota who participates in NAMA’s oat research lobbying effort every year) |
Invitations to participate in the Leadership Meeting have been extended to NAMA Board members or their alternates. This is an opportunity for the leadership of NAMA to bring a real-life perspective on our issues to lawmakers and regulatory officials.
Meetings are scheduled with Bush Administration officials, Senate and House committee staffs, and associations or organizations on topics of current interest to NAMA members. Participants are also encouraged to visit the offices of their Congressional representatives. To register for the meeting, contact NAMA president Betsy Faga at bfaga@namamillers.org.
The Executive Committee will meet on May 7 from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm.
2008 Division Meeting presentations available online
220 milling members, associate members and industry allies attended NAMA's 2008 Division Meetings held at the Ginn Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Florida.
Each Division elected a new chairperson for a two-year term. Elected were:
Soft Wheat Division: Greg Schlafer, General Mills Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Oat Division: Dan Ward, La Crosse Milling Company, Cochrane, WI
Corn Division: Mary Thompson, Cargill Dry Corn Milling, Minneapolis, MN
Special recognition and thanks were given to the outgoing chairs:
Soft Wheat Division: Howdy Holmes, “JIFFY” Mixes, Chelsea, MI
Oat Division: Bruce Roskens, PepsiCo/Quaker Oats, Chicago, IL
Corn Division: House-Autry Mills, Inc., Four Oaks, NC
Speaker presentations are available online.
Soft red winter wheat crop to be largest since 1989
(World-Grain.com, March 19, 2008)
by World Grain Staff
PALM COAST, FLORIDA, U.S. — Participants at an annual meeting of the Soft Wheat Division of the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) in Palm Coast, Florida, U.S. on March 18 were told by NAMA that the projection for soft red winter wheat production in 2008 is 547,856,000 bushels, up 189,959,000 bushels, or 53%, from 357,897,000 bushels last year.
If realized, it would be the largest soft red winter wheat crop since 548,919,000 bushels in 1989. Only Texas, a minor producer of soft red winter wheat, was expected to have a smaller crop than a year ago.
NAMA projected soft white winter wheat production in 2008 at 209,512,000 bushels, up 34,468,000 bushels, or 20%, from 175,044,000 bushels in 2007. Of the soft white wheat projection, the Pacific Northwest states accounted for 185,800,000 bushels.
Wheat flour consumption on the move up
Preliminary figures from the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census indicate wheat flour consumption was up in 2007 by 2-3 pounds over the previous year. This is the first increase since 2000. The milling industry must take credit for its role in the increase through support of promotional activities of the Grain Foods Foundation, Wheat Foods Council and Home Baking Association; attention to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and its recommendation for increased consumption of whole grains; and innovation within the milling and baking industry.
Registration now open for the
49th Annual Corn Dry Milling Conference
NAMA’s Corn Dry Milling Conference will be held May 29 – 30, 2008 in Peoria, Illinois. Jointly sponsored with USDA’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, the conference will feature two half-day sessions on research and topical issues related to corn milling. Topics this year include getting a trait to market, germplasm enhancement of maize, incorporating distiller grains in food products, climate change and its impact on corn, the sustainability of agriculture, and mycotoxins testing and impact of regulations. In addition to the conference, NAMA milling and associate members will meet the morning of May 29, just prior to the conference. Program details and registration information are on NAMA’s web site.
NAMA co-sponsors National Ag Day
National Ag Day, organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA), is held the first day of spring every year. ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public's awareness of agriculture's role in modern society. NAMA joined ACA and other agriculture organizations in sponsoring this special recognition of America’s agriculture. The event honors agriculture for “providing safe, abundant and affordable products, a strong economy, a source of renewable energy, and a world of job opportunities.” NAMA president Betsy Faga attended a luncheon on Capitol Hill and an evening reception at USDA to honor the day.
Congressional Hunger Center 15th anniversary gala
250 guests, including NAMA president Betsy Faga and Director of Government Relations Jane DeMarchi, celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Congressional Hunger Center. The Center maintains a leadership training program in which a select group of young fellows receive the skills, knowledge and experience to become effective anti-hunger leaders in the domestic and international arenas. Special recognition was given to Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) for their support of and contributions in the fight against hunger. NAMA was a co-sponsor of the event.
March for Babies fights prematurity for its sixth year
Teams are now forming for the March of Dimes March for Babies, formerly called WalkAmerica. The Grain Foods Foundation (GFF), of which NAMA is a member, is a sponsor of the event. We would like to invite your company to participate.
The March of Dimes national campaign to fight prematurity is in its sixth year. The money raised goes directly to research to find the causes of premature birth and how it can be prevented, to support families whose babies must spend time in neonatal intensive care units and to provide women with the latest information on having a healthy pregnancy.
As last year, GFF will have booths set up at 15 locations across the country with representatives of the Mullen team present and banners at other sites. Join the GFF team at one of the upcoming walks. Form a corporate team. For more information on participation, please contact Jennifer Geiger at Jennifer.Geiger@mullen.com.
March for Babies - GFF Booth Sites (note two location changes)
| Saturday, April 19 Dallas Nashville Phoenix Saturday, April 26 Sunday, April 27 |
Saturday, May 3 Sunday, May 4 |
Invitation to participate in wheat tours
The Wheat Quality Council has invited interested parties to participate in wheat tours starting May 5 and July 28. The tours are for three days and offer participants the opportunity to acquire fundamental wheat industry knowledge. The first is a hard winter wheat tour in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Register before April 13. The second is a hard spring wheat and durum tour in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Register before July 2. The cost is $200 for Wheat Quality Council members and university/government personnel and $250 for all others. To register, please contact Ben Handcock at the Wheat Quality Council, 605.224.5187 or bhwqc@aol.com.
NAMA presses on biotech issues
The AgBiotech Planning Committee (ABPC), of which NAMA is a member, submitted comments to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) concerning the European Union’s (EU) failure to comply with its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations. WTO requires the EU to provide for a science-based, timely and predictable process for regulatory review of agriculture and food biotechnology products. The coalition supported USTR’s efforts to normalize trade in ag biotech products with the EU. However, the group urged that all EU and EU member state products, agriculture and non-agriculture, be considered for suspension of concessions and related sanctions if retaliation becomes necessary.
Members of the ABPC also sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Schafer urging USDA to take immediate action to propose revisions to 7 CFR part 340 regulations governing oversight of crops produced through modern biotechnology. The letter stated that “A comprehensive revision of the rules is necessary to keep pace with rapid developments in technology…”
FUSARIUM FOCUS - Volume 8, Issue 1
The U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative's (USWBSI) 2008 Spring Newsletter - Fusarium Focus, Volume 8 (1) - is now available. The newsletter may be viewed or downloaded from the Scab Website. Click on the link or copy and paste link into your web browser.
NAMA in the news
Tight wheat supplies trigger big jump in the cost of flour
DesMoinesRegister.com
Des Moines, IA
“We should all say a prayer tonight for good weather in Saskatchewan this summer," said Jim Bair, vice president of the North American Millers' Association, referring to Canada's wheat-growing province. ...
March 4, 2008
Ug99 puts face on need for wheat research
Capital Press
Salem, OR
The National Association of Wheat Growers and the North American Millers’ Association have made Ug99 research a priority. Although fungicides made available ...
March 15, 2008
Conference calendar
49th Corn Dry Milling Conference
Peoria, IL
May 29-30, 2008
May 28, 2008 NAMA member meeting
2008 Annual Meeting, Lake Tahoe, NV
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
Visit the resort's web site at http://laketahoe.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp
September 25-27, 2008
2009 Division Meetings, Ft. Myers, FL
Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa
Visit the resort's web site at http://www.sanibel-resort.com
March 21-24, 2009
2009 Annual Meeting, Washington, DC
Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel
Visit the hotel's web site at http://www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/3293/fiche_hotel.shtml
October 19-21, 2009
2010 Division Meetings, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
W Fort Lauderdale
Visit the resort's web site at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1522
March 20-23, 2010
Since the Last Newsletter
Members who would like to review the activities of NAMA staff during the past month go to http://www.namamillers.org/mbr_SLN_03_30_08.cfm.
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