The North Dakota Corn Growers Association (NDCGA) continues to actively work on solutions to problems farmers are facing throughout North Dakota. In the last two weeks, our board members and staff have met with our Congressional Delegation, numerous state leaders, and USDA officials Under Secretary Bill Northey and RMA Administrator Martin Barbre.

NDCGA continually seeks solutions to the challenges corn producers face, and is looking ahead to how the organization can better frame future risk management policies that address the perils producers face.

President Randy Melvin attended a roundtable meeting in Argusville, ND with Under Secretary Northey, Senators Hoeven and Cramer, and other elected officials. Discussions centered around poor harvest conditions due to flooding and an early blizzard. Senator Hoeven announced that USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue has approved North Dakota’s request for a secretarial disaster designation for 47 counties; this will enable these counties to be eligible for WHIP+ aid. President Randy Melvin said, “the North Dakota Corn Growers thank Under Secretary Northey for coming to North Dakota and seeing the challenges we are facing. We are thankful for Northey’s response and openness to the ideas to improve risk management programs to help mitigate stress for producers.”

Vice President Paul Thomas attended the roundtable with RMA Administrator Barbre in Minot last Monday. The meeting focused on RMA’s flexibility with crop insurance adjustors and crop insurance premiums. On Thursday, November 14, RMA announced it would “continue to defer accrual of interest for 2019 crop year insurance premiums” in order to assist producers affected by adverse weather. Thomas asked for changes including: adding counties that currently do not have crop insurance coverage in North Dakota to become eligible, remove the 2019 crop year prevented plant acres from the 1 in 4 rule nationwide due to the unprecedented wet conditions. He also asked for RMA to work with private insurance providers to maintain flexibility on a farm by farm basis as the harvest deadline approaches. Thomas requested RMA develop an insurance product that allows farmers to take enterprise unit coverage on a smaller scale. 

The North Dakota Corn Growers Association (NDCGA) is the farmer-led membership organization focusing on policy that impacts North Dakota corn producers. The NDCGA board of directors consists of 14 growers from seven districts along with two at-large directors.

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