A visit to the Fremont Corn Expo

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - It’s meeting season for farmers and ranchers, and one popular place for producers to get educated on the latest trends is the Fremont Corn Expo.

10/11 NOW caught up with Katherine Byrne at the event, who is the Director of Grower Services for the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, and talked with her to get the latest on what producers are thinking about in 2023.

“Here at the state level, corn producers are very interested in property tax relief, ethanol expansion, and the effort to improve rural broadband,” Byrne said. “Getting access to broadband is something we are keeping an eye on at the state legislature.”

Another topic that corn producers hope to find a solution to, is the potential ban of GMO corn imports to Mexico.

“The president of that country has presented a decree that by January of 2024, they will halt the import of GMO corn to Mexico,” Byrne said. “Our concern is for our growers, and how this could affect them. We are working with our national cooperators, such as the National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Grains Council to find a solution. Producers are also encouraged to contact their elected representatives in Washington D.C. to voice their opinion on the topic.”

At the Fremont Corn Expo, producers were also talking about input prices, the upcoming growing season and the continued drought.

“It’s especially important now for producers to come to educational opportunities like this,” Byrne said. “Here, producers can learn best-growing practices, and how to get the best money into your operations to become profitable.”

Byrne also pointed out that it’s also a Farm Bill year.

“At the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, we are keeping an eye on the different hearing sessions that are happening in Washington, D.C., and working to make sure everyone knows the importance of the Farm Bill,” Byrne said.

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