April 16, 2009

Groups call for hearing on food prices

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Folks from the National Farmers Union, Growth Energy, American Farm Bureau Federation and National Corn Growers joined in a news conference today lauding the recent Congressional Budget Office report that concluded the bulk of last year’s food price increases was do to high energy costs. (As in NOT ethanol!)

That seems to me to be exactly what corn growers and many other folks were saying all along. In fact, Tom Buis of Growth Energy said exactly that: The CBO report made a point that we’ve been trying to make for a year.

(Also check out this and this and this.)

The groups also noted today that several hearings were held last year that were an attempt to blame corn and ethanol – and perhaps some of those people should come before Congress again.

Buis reminded people that “someone” out there orchestrated a campaign and they owe us an apology. (Perhaps this is the someone?)

NCGA CEO Rick Tolman said he was looking for an apology from the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “I think that grocery manufacturers and others owe farmers a huge apology for the damage they’ve done to the reputation among consumers,” Tolman says.

Tolman makes some great points - such as it is not a "zero sum game", that the "pie" that is the corn supply is getting bigger, allowing growers to produce plenty of corn for food, feed and fuel.

For the audio from the news conference, visit Brownfield here.

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