Michigan corn reps appointed to U.S. Grains Council advisory teams

LANSING, MI -- One of the ways that the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan leverages the checkoff dollars of Michigan growers is by investing in the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), which develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products, including ethanol and dried distiller’s grains. With 95% of the world's consumers living outside the U.S., these efforts are vital to the profitability of the corn industry.

The USGC recently released a report that found that the export of corn and corn products increased the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by $29.8 billion over what would have occurred without such exports. In Michigan, that created $81.8 million in gross state product. The number of full-time equivalent jobs linked directly or indirectly to corn exports totaled 332,787 nationwide with 1,088 of those in Michigan. Industries most impacted by this job creation include full- and limited-service restaurants, hospitals, employment services, real estate and wholesale trade.

This week, the USGC announced its appointments to the Advisory Teams, and the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan is represented on several teams. The appointments are:

• Janna Fritz - Biotech Advisory Team

• Ed Breitmeyer - Value-Added Advisory Team

• Richard L. Dobbins - Western Hemisphere Advisory Team

• Angel Jenio - Trade Policy Advisory Team

These teams help shape and drive the mission of the council, and having strong representation from Michigan will benefit all of Michigan agriculture.

You can find out more online at: www.grains.org.