The new farmer leader for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says profitability is his No. 1 priority as he starts his one-year term and plans for the year ahead.
“It’s just not where it needs to be at the farm level. We’re looking at a 90-some-cent loss per bushel as we look at next year’s crop to put out,” says Jed Bower, NCGA president and a fifth-generation farmer from Fayette County, Ohio.
While Bower says export numbers are good, he notes the market doesn’t reflect that positive picture, and more opportunity for U.S. corn is needed.
It’s why, during a recent conversation with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Bower encouraged her to “go after the big players” domestically and abroad to boost market opportunities for corn.
“We need to move large volumes. The small volumes are great, but large volumes are going to be what helps rural America,” Bower told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory earlier this week.
For the same reason – to boost profitability – Bower says NCGA continues to encourage Congress to pass legislation that would increase consumer access to higher blends of ethanol year-round.
Corn grower leaders have repeatedly claimed that one of the quickest ways to create more demand for corn is by passing the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025. It would remove an outdated regulation under the Clean Air Act that bans the sale of fuel with 15% ethanol blends during the summer months.
“We’re pushing for this E15 thing – almost had it over the line last December,” Bower says. “We’re close again, but there’s just so many things that aren’t going on in Washington right now that we need to keep having those conversations.”
Positive Action By California Governor Newsom
Significant encouragement regarding E15 came by way of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) just last week, when he signed a bill on Oct. 2 legalizing fuels with 15% ethanol blends.
“The potential volume for California alone is just tremendous,” Bower says. “I never thought I would be thanking the governor of California for signing that in, you know. That’s just not something that was on my radar, and I’m super pumped about it.”
Bower’s hope is the support Newsom gives for E15 puts leverage on the Trump administration and Congress to act immediately.
“Because, as we’ve talked numerous times, E15 cost taxpayers nothing,” Bower says. “It lowers the cost of gas at the pump for all their constituents, and for every 1% that we raise the blend, you’ve got 450-plus million bushels more grind. That helps make our corn worth a little more, and in turn, that strengthens rural America.”
The Need For More Trade And Fewer Regulatory Hurdles
During Bower’s time on AgriTalk, Flory asked him about his initial interactions with USDA Secretary Rollins and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Bower says Rollins “appears to be a quick study,” and he appreciates how much she is advocating in the world marketplace on behalf of U.S. agricultural products.
“I think that is huge,” Bower told Flory. “We’ve seen Brazil doing that the past couple years for their products, and beating us to a lot of punches. We really appreciate Secretary Rollins for taking the time to travel around the world to push American ag products.”
Regarding Secretary Zeldin, Bower says he looks forward to meeting him in the near future, and that Zeldin seems to be bringing “common sense” back to the regulatory playing field.
“A lot of these regulations drive up the cost of what we need to do as farmers,” Bower says. “Secretary Zeldin has been accessible to a lot of our staff, and I’m looking forward to diving into some of the regulatory issues we have and see if we can’t get a little more relief in some of those areas.”
For more insights into Bower’s perspective on market opportunities for corn and his hope for reducing regulatory pressures on farmers, be sure to listen to his conversation with Flory on AgriTalk, available here:
