Celebrating an important birthday and looking to future of agriculture 

By Lesly McNitt, NCGA Vice President of Public Policy 

During the week of July 13, we welcomed hundreds of corn farmers to Washington on the heels of an important milestone birthday for our nation. 

Corn farmers and corn production have been a part of every one of America’s last 250 years, and we at the National Corn Growers Association are looking at the many ways that our farmers can continue to contribute to American life and innovation over the next two-and-a-half centuries. 

This month, we released a new report outlining a strategy for securing new demand for American corn. And our work in Washington will play a major role in enacting the plan and eliminating policy and regulatory barriers that stand in the way. 

This report provides a roadmap that could collectively unlock demand – for billions of additional bushels of corn annually. It identifies three new high-growth markets where NCGA is looking to position American corn to compete: 

• Maritime Fuels – Securing 10 percent of the global maritime fuel market fueled by corn-based ethanol would equate to 3 billion bushels of annual new demand. 

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel – Securing 10 percent of the global SAF market fueled by ethanol-to-jet technologies would represent 1.7 billion bushels of annual demand. 

• Biobased Products and Biomanufacturing – Securing 10 percent of the global biochemical and biobased product market with corn-based feedstocks capable of replacing the petroleum in 10 percent of the world’s plastics would total 6.6 billion bushels of potential demand. 

My colleagues and I are already laying the groundwork for these longer-term efforts, and that work will expand over the coming years. In the near-term, we are working to pass legislation in Congress that will allow consumers to access fuel with a 15 percent ethanol blend year-round. We secured a victory on this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, and we are lobbying for Senate passage to lower gas prices and increase corn demand. We are also strategizing for ethanol’s use beyond E15. 

We continue to work on expanding foreign export markets and eliminating trade barriers, and we are working hard to ensure that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is renewed this year. And of course, none of this is possible if farmers can’t purchase affordable inputs or if their tools are too heavily regulated. 

That’s why we are raising concerns about these issues, holding U.S. companies to account for bad practices and challenging trading partners who undermine our farmers. 

These are but a few of the many efforts we are engaging in to ensure a brighter future for the nation’s corn growers. This work is extremely important to NCGA, because as many of our grower leaders often say, they are not farming just for the season, they are farming with the next generation in mind. 

Passing year-round E15 in the House 

On May 13, something miraculous and rare in modern legislative politics occurred. A standalone bill passed the U.S. House with a vote of 218-203. During that vote, 122 Republicans, 95 Democrats and one Independent voted to pass the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (H.R. 1346), which would allow for a 15 percent ethanol-gasoline blend to be sold year-round. 

This win is not only a step in the right direction for farmers, but it also provides a template for policymakers and other advocacy groups for bipartisanship in today’s polarized environment. 

This is a niche issue to many, but to the farmers, ethanol producers, fuel retailers and the Midwest members of Congress who represent them, year-round E15 was more than a decade-long struggle. What it means in a tough economy for farmers and consumers is an opportunity to increase demand for corn and ethanol while also saving American drivers money at the gas pump. 

Corn grower leaders have steadily built support for E15 legislation in Congress through the years. 

But by 2026, corn farmers were running out of patience and intensifying pressure on policymakers. Meanwhile, House members from both parties, many of whom are facing close races, are battling for control of their chamber in upcoming midterm elections. These dynamics don’t typically lend themselves to progress, but E15 champions were undeterred. 

House Democrats and Republicans wrote joint letters, stood side-by-side on the House floor and at press conferences, and spoke passionately about the benefits E15 would deliver to their communities. They put the common good first. They lobbied their leadership, their colleagues, the press – anyone who would listen – about the importance of getting a vote on E15. They even held up votes on other bills until a vote on E15 was promised. 

And then, with a rare and somewhat risky opportunity to get a vote on E15 as a single bill, these courageous legislators launched a full court press to whip “aye votes.” Numbers were looking good, despite a staunch opposition. Then came a last-minute procedural hurdle: a vote on a “motion to recommit,” which would have tanked the final vote on E15 in the eleventh hour and was introduced by a member of the majority – something that is typically unheard of. 

Again, E15 champions were undeterred. With Agriculture and Energy and Commerce Committee chairs and ranking members aiding the push, the motion to recommit failed by a massive margin of 309-112. And finally, after years of failed attempts, late nights and endless hours of negotiations, Republicans and Democrats got their E15 vote, and it passed.