MINDEN, Iowa — Even before the books were closed on 2011, the Iowa Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) had started working on plans to promote policies and programs for 2012 that would support the state’s corn growers.

“This year, the ICGA will continue to support policies that are important for Iowa’s agriculture industry to remain strong,” said Kevin Ross, ICGA president and a Minden farmer. “Our goal will be to work with (Iowa) legislators to reduce unnecessary regulations, as well as provide support for initiatives to increase funding for transportation and ethanol infrastructure.”

In late August 2010, ICGA representatives reinstated expiring policies and adopted new ones for the 2012 Legislative Session at its annual policy conference in Des Moines. Among the key state legislative priorities in 2012 were: transportation and ethanol infrastructure; regulation and tax issues; conservation and water quality; and support for the state’s livestock producers.

“Iowa’s roads and bridges in many areas are in desperate need of improvement, and funding to support Iowa’s roads is currently not enough to meet the demand for maintenance of Iowa’s road system,” ICGA officials said in a statement from the session.

Iowa’s Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF) is funded by the “fuel tax” and is constitutionally protected from diversions for other purposes.

“Transportation infrastructure is essential for corn growers and Iowa’s economy,” ICGA officials said. “The ICGA will be asking the legislature to support a fuel tax increase for road infrastructure.”

According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production by creating nearly 30 percent of U.S. ethanol, which has resulted in 50,000 new jobs for Iowans and accounts for $13 billion of Iowa’s Gross Domestic Product.

The ICGA will be working on strengthening the state’s ethanol industry, with the help of Iowa’s Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund, which assists retailers in upgrading to E85, blender pumps or biodiesel.

“The ICGA is committed to maintaining or expanding the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund, including E15 and E85,” the statement read. “This program provides an opportunity for retailers to upgrade their infrastructure through cost-sharing grants of up to 70 percent. The ICGA will protect this program, and oppose any diversions of funding to other purposes besides renewable fuels infrastructure.”

In addition, the ICGA is supporting efforts to reduce or revise what it referred to as “unnecessary and unworkable” regulations for the state’s agriculture industry.

“Agriculture is a vital industry for Iowa’s economy,” officials said. “One out of every six jobs in Iowa is directly related to the agriculture industry. Agriculture can only remain vital in the state if it has reasonable regulations. Similarly, the ICGA will work to protect the current tax law as applied to agriculture.”

According to the USDA, farmers have increased soil conservation by 44 percent through using what the ICGA called “innovative methods and technology.”

In 2012, the ICGA said it also plans to promote voluntary water quality incentive programs and work to increase funding for conservation cost share, which “will help farmers introduce practices on their farms which will help to further reduce soil erosion and improve water quality.”

In one of its final policies, the ICGA said it’s committed to “a healthy Iowa livestock industry and would be working with other farm groups to make sure that legislation affecting livestock production is responsible, reasonable and science-based.

“Livestock is corn’s largest customer, and a healthy livestock industry is essential to the Iowa economy,” ICGA officials said.

One example of how the ICGA said it would be supporting the state’s ethanol industry is by promoting its other uses, such as dried distillers grains (DDGs). Bob Hemesath said he uses DDGs on his Calmar, Iowa, hog operation because they provide his animals a lower-cost feeding ration, while still providing a high-quality protein feed ingredient.

“We include DDGs in our feeding rations at about 20 percent,” he said. “By utilizing DDGs, we also see a better rate of gain in our herd.”