Throughout the year, NGFA voices member concerns on the Hill and through thousands of pages of submitted comments and official statements to U.S. governing bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Surface Transportation Board, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and others.

In addition, NGFA spends thousands of hours planning conferences, and training and education events - as well as assembling arbitration panels to ensure they are impartial and knowledgeable regarding the case subject.

While space does not permit citing all the actions NGFA took in 2014 to represent and provide services for the grain, feed, processing and export interests, it is important to assess the year's major accomplishments - such as:

  • The issue of biotechnology dominated the headlines in agriculture and was a significant focus for NGFA, which published nearly 30 biotechnology-related articles in its newsletter. The articles addressed issues and actions NGFA took such as: impacts of commercialization of biotech traits before securing export market approvals, state food labeling and Hill briefings. For more information, see a full list of newsletter articles related to biotechnology.
  • Thus far this winter, rail service problems are not as severe as they have been; however, the issue continues to be a major NGFA focus. The association continues to urge public reporting of rail service metrics. (See related article.) In addition, Carl Ice, president and CEO of BNSF Railway Co. has been confirmed as a speaker for the 2015 Annual Convention in San Antonio. (Registration is open.) Among the association's 2014 actions, NGFA urged a revamp to proposed rail tank car rules and reached out - though testimony and submitted comments - to the Surface Transportation Board on numerous rail issues, including competitive switching, grain rail rates and rail fuel surcharges.
  • While there may still be work on the rails, there was a significant win for the industry on the waterways. Enactment of legislation that will increase the user fee assessed on barge diesel fuel will help finance much-needed improvements to the nation's outdated and deteriorating locks on the inland waterways system. For more information on rail and waterways issues, see transportation-related newsletter articles.
  • Another issue that dominated NGFA's attention was the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). NGFA in December suggested major revisions to several sets proposed FSMA rules and has submitted hundreds of pages of comments. Moving forward, this will continue to be a significant focus as the Food and Drug Administration is under a court order to issue both its final current good manufacturing practice and preventive controls rules for human food and animal feed/pet food by Aug. 30, and its final rule for foreign supplier verification programs by Oct. 31.
  • As mentioned in a related article, NGFA advocated for and won inclusion of an "early out" provision in the 2014 farm bill, which provides landowners a one-time opportunity to remove eligible land from Conservation Reserve Program before contract expiration.
  • One disappointment for the industry was an appeals court rejection of a petition challenging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) inclusion of combustible dust in the new globally harmonized hazard communications standard. For the grain, feed and processing industry, the bottom line implication is that beginning June 1 (although a petition has been filed to delay this) raw grains and oilseeds shipped to downstream customers will be required to comply with OSHA's requirement to issue a safety data sheet. In the coming months, NGFA's Safety Health and Environmental Quality Committee will develop and distribute to member companies guidance on how to comply with this and other requirements.
  • While issue priorities may change annually, NGFA each year hosts or co-hosts more than a dozen meetings, conferences or events that provide networking and educational opportunities. Events such as:
    • Regional safety compliance seminars on federal OSHA regulatory requirements that reached more than 300 members in the grain, feed and grain processing industry in 2014. NGFA also teamed up with Grain Journal to produce a national safety conference.
    • Ongoing annual events - the 118th NGFA Annual Convention, the 43rd annual Country Elevator Conference and Trade Show, and the NGFA/Pet Food Institute Joint Feed and Pet Food Conference, which in combination reached nearly 1,500 industry members. In addition, NGFA hosted its committee and board meetings that help shape NGFA policy and programs.
  • While much of the work on the NGFA website was accomplished in 2013, the addition of an online member directory - available to members only at ngfa.org/directory - capped off the significant planned changes.
  • In terms of the newsletter, which members can access at ngfa.org/newsletter, the top read issues and the lead articles were:
    • April 7: NGFA Members Elect New Industry Officers at 118th Annual Convention
    • April 18: NGFA Estimates Up to $2.9 Billion Loss to U.S. Corn, Soy in Aftermath of Trade Disruption with China Over Detection of Unapproved Syngenta Agrisure Viptera™ MIR 162 Corn
    • 21: Syngenta Announces Agreement with Gavilon to Assist in Marketing Agrisure Duracade Biotech Corn
    • 14: Dow AgroSciences to Limit 2015 Stewarded Launch of Enlist™ Corn to On-Farm Feeding Use Only
    • Feb 7: NGFA Joins Broad-Based National Coalition Advocating Federal GMO Labeling Solution
Finally, as we begin 2015, it is worth reminding that NGFA is here for its members. Do not hesitate to contact anyone on staff if you have comments, suggestions, questions or concerns.

The National Grain and Feed Association, founded in 1896, is a broad-based, non-profit trade association that represents and provides services for grain, feed and related commercial businesses.Its activities focus on enhancing the growth and economic performance of U.S. agriculture.

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