Post

MO Corn views Obama’s omission as okay

President Obama’s getting some criticism in ag circles about his speech at a corn ethanol plant in Missouri  for not using the word “corn” as he talked about the importance of ethanol and ‘next generation’ renewable energy sources.

But Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO Gary Marshall says the very fact that the president was at the ethanol plant and toured the plant, speaks volumes. “I thought that it was significant that he was speaking at a corn-based ethanol plant, that he had a high-loader sitting there, with a bucket of corn, with some of it spilled on the floor,” Marshall said. “And the facts – that he mentioned that he was a senator from a Midwestern corn state (Illinois) – I thought it was significant that he mentioned all of those things. With the backdrop of where he was, I think it sent a really good signal.”

Marshall says he’s pleased President Obama expressed support for reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, not just as an energy issue but as a national security issue.

And, Marshall says they’ll use the president’s visit as a launch platform to get with Congress, EPA, and the USDA to “move the needle forward” on higher ethanol blends, tax credits and corn as an advanced biofuel – as the president suggested but did not specifically mention in his speech.

AUDIO: Gary Marshall, MO Corn Growers (5 min. MP3)