NAMA News May 2009
Inside this Issue
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Members of NAMA’s International Trade Committee (ITC) met with food aid partners during the annual IFAC (International Food Aid Conference) held in Kansas City in March. Standing in front of NAMA’s display are NAMA ITC Chair Rod Geiger, Bartlett Milling Company; NAMA Director of Government Relations, Jane DeMarchi; NAMA President, Betsy Faga; and Jim Brainard, Consultant, The Manchester Company, NAMA Associate Member. Complete story was in last month’s issue of NAMA NEWS and can be found at http://www.namamillers.org/NewsArchives09/Apr09News.html. |
NAMA’s Corn Dry Milling Conference will be held June 18, 2009 in Peoria, Illinois. Jointly sponsored with USDA’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, the conference will feature a one-day session on research and topical issues related to corn milling. Topics this year include endophytes, germplasm enhancement of maize, the development of fungicides for field crops and their impact on grain yield and quality, what is a perfect hybrid, update on CODEX Committee, and economic impact of traits on the seed corn industry. In addition to the conference, NAMA milling and associate members will meet the evening of June 17. Program details and registration information are on NAMA’s web site at http://www.namamillers.org/mbr_mtg.cfm.
NAMA Leadership meets with Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan
NAMA’s Executive Committee and Board members met with Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan during NAMA’s annual Leadership Meeting in Washington, DC to advocate on behalf of the milling industry. Topics discussed included biotechnology output traits, planting trends, and food aid.
On biotechnology output traits, millers emphasized the importance of developing a plan for risk assessment, risk management and risk responsibility. They also expressed the need to commercialize biotech wheat as soon as possible because wheat yield and wheat stocks are at the lowest levels in half a century.
Regarding planting trends, NAMA described to Ms. Merrigan the value of wheat and oat research for future market success. Millers expressed hope that USDA will maintain ARS funding for the US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, the wheat quality labs and the small grains molecular marker labs. Millers also highlighted the critical importance of AFRI (Agriculture & Food Research Initiative) funding for the Wheat Coordinated Agricultural Project and the Oat Genomics research to the entire grain-based food chain.
In discussing food aid, the NAMA leaders emphasized that it is more effective and efficient to rely on overseas prepositioning of products and a supply chain management system of buying high nutrition foods prior to a specific destination declaration than to purchase products in local markets where scarcity already exists.
The millers also met with Jim Miller, the Undersecretary of Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services on the topic of food aid, as well as other Administration officials from USDA’s Biotech Regulatory Services and the Department of Homeland Security. They also met with Congressional staff on numerous topics and a number of NAMA leaders met independently with their Congressional representatives.
Wheat groups announce goal of synchronized biotech introduction
in US, Canada and Australia
NAMA joined grower organizations from the US, Canada and Australia in releasing a joint statement on the commercialization of wheat biotechnology. The statement outlines the importance of wheat to the food supply and biotechnology to the wheat crop, and indicates the groups will work toward synchronized commercialization of biotech traits in the three countries' wheat crops. The full statement is available online at http://www.namamillers.org/biotech.html.
Coordinated effort needed for wheat to be competitive
The US Department of Agriculture asked the wheat industry for assistance in prioritizing department research investments and for recommendations on coordinating those investments. NAMA, the American Bakers Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, and the National Wheat Improvement Committee responded to the USDA REEO questionnaire with these recommendations:
- International research coordination
- Inter-agency coordination
- Prioritize investments using economic impact, productivity, and environmental sustainability
- Facilitate collaborations and communication among scientists
- Give agriculture research the same status as medical research
Read the FY2010 research priorities for wheat research at http://www.namamillers.org/pdf/FY2010wheatpriorities.pdf.
 NAMA Executive Committee member Lynn Rundle, 21st Century Grain Processing (second from right) and NAMA Vice President Jim Bair (not pictured) met in Nebraska with representatives of the Nebraska ethanol industry and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association to discuss the high amylase corn being developed for the ethanol industry and the potential impact it could have on the food and feed industry. The group toured farms, elevators, and ethanol plants. |
GFF reports results from Good Morning America and the CBS Early Show
Good Morning America (GMA) featured bread from six Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) member bakers on May 5th as part of its Feeding America food drive. Alpha Baking, Bimbo USA, Flowers Foods, H & S Bakery, Pepperidge Farm and Sara Lee pledged a combined total of more than 46,000 loaves of bread. This segment reached approximately 2.4 million viewers for an estimated publicity value of $107,500.
In addition, the Bread Art Project was featured on the GMA website and blog, which included a toasted photo of Diane Sawyer. The GMA blog reaches more than 10.5 million monthly visitors. The Bread Art Project was also featured on the CBS Early Show on April 27 when weatherman Dave Price mentioned the site. GFF representatives wearing Bread Art Project t-shirts and holding bread art signs featuring the CBS anchors also were shown throughout the show.
WFC now on Facebook and Twitter
The Wheat Foods Council (WFC) is venturing further into the world of cyberspace by creating Facebook and Twitter pages. Basic information about the Council is available on each of the home pages. The Facebook page includes the two YouTube videos of the Urban Wheat Field taken last fall in New York City.
If you currently have a Facebook page, ask to be linked to WFC's page as a "friend." To follow WFC on Twitter, you need to initially sign up at Twitter.com and then do a search for Wheat Foods and click to "follow" them. Any breaking news or new information can now be instantly sent out to the WFC membership base, friends and followers. WFC will be providing pertinent information via Facebook and Twitter to address pressing issues as needed.
KSU in Minneapolis to recruit students
Kansas State University hosted “Brains for Grains” at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, MN on May 18. The event was sponsored by grain-based industries and allied trades in search of high quality future employees.
The purpose of this inaugural recruitment event is to heed the advice and often stated concern of so many grain industry professionals – “Where can our companies find future interns and employees?” The event promoted the three unique undergraduate programs of study at KSU in Milling, Baking and Feed Grain Sciences. Each program is an educational foundation for future operations specialists, managers, line supervisors, research & development technicians, sales personnel, etc.
NAMA speaking engagements
Jim Bair, NAMA vice president presented the grain millers’ perspective at the 6th Heat Treatment Workshop conducted by Kansas State University’s Grain Science Department. He told the group that pest management tools are judged on their technical and economic viability, although public attitudes about sustainability and the environment are putting new pressure on the industry to reduce overall pesticide usage.
Jane DeMarchi, NAMA director of government relations spoke at the International Association of Operative Millers Conference in Grand Rapids, MI on a panel on food protection. Her presentation included an update on recent NAMA food defense activities in response to Department of Homeland Security initiatives. Jane also provided an update on NAMA’s technical issues to attendees of the American Association of Cereal Chemists Milling and Baking Division meeting in Albuquerque, NM.
Corn research published in Food & Drink Quarterly
An article regarding the corn research that was funded by NAMA and the National Corn Growers Association was published in Food & Drink Quarterly, Volume 5, Issue 1 – you can view the article in the online magazine at http://mag1.olivesoftware.com/activemagazine/welcome/FDQ/FDQ.asp. The article is on page 12. The article was the result of media outreach by the Grain Foods Foundation. NAMA has been working with GFF to promote the results of the research, which showed milled corn products have bioaccessible carotenoids.
Mary Thompson, Corn Division Chair assumes new position at Cargill
Mary Thompson, president of Cargill Corn Dry Ingredients, assumed a new position within Cargill as Business Unit Leader of Cargill Kitchen Solutions. The change was effective June 1. NAMA will miss Mary’s active engagement in association activities. She has been serving as chair of the Corn Division since March 2007. We wish Mary well as her career takes her into new areas of interest and responsibility.
Ag Markets Workshop Slated for June 15-16 & November 16-17 in Chicago
The University of Illinois Office for Futures and Options is sponsoring a two-day Ag Markets Workshop on June 15-16 and again November 16-17 at the Illini Center, 200 S. Wacker, Chicago. The workshop will provide an in-depth update on the latest trends in the world agricultural marketplace, grain flow, transportation, regulation, hedging, basis trading, spreads, market reports, and options.
The workshop is tailored to meet the needs of grain merchandisers, food, feed and energy business, hedgers, ag futures traders, futures company staffers, transportation professionals, and any professional involved in commercial markets. For more information about the workshop go to: http://www.ace.uiuc.edu/ofor/workshops/intro.htm.
In Memory
It is with great sadness that NAMA reports the passing of Gordon Lee Brockmueller on March 7, 2009. Gordon was a valuable participant in NAMA’s annual push on Capitol Hill for increased funding for oat research. His passion and knowledge of grain production and research will be missed.
Conference calendar
50th Annual Corn Dry Milling Conference, East Peoria, IL
Hotel Pere Marquette
June 17-18, 2009
2009 Annual Meeting, Washington, DC
Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel
October 19-21, 2009
2010 Division Meetings, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
W Fort Lauderdale
March 20-23, 2010
2010 Annual Meeting, Del Mar, CA
L'Auberge Del Mar Resort
October 14-16, 2010
2011 Division Meetings, Marco Island, FL
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa
March 12-14, 2011
The North American Millers’ Association prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact NAMA at 202.484.2200 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Betsy Faga, President, 600 Maryland Avenue SW, Suite 825W, Washington, DC, 20024 or call 202.484.2200 ext. 13. NAMA is and equal opportunity provider and employer.
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