Survey Results Identify Grower's Top Priorities
To better serve Tennessee corn producers, the members of the Tennessee Corn Growers Association (TCGA) were asked this winter to complete a survey identifying their top priorities, concerns, or the more pressing challenges they are facing today as corn producers in Tennessee.
The responses will be used in investing your corn checkoff resources by the Tennessee Corn Promotion Board (TCPB). Along with establishing priorities for TCGA policy objectives.
The results are compiled below.
Among state policy issues, growers ranked transportation infrastructure, foreign ownership of agricultural land in Tennessee, and renewable energy as top priorities TCGA should focus on. At the federal level, growers ranked trade, the 2023 Farm Bill, and environmental regulation among their top priorities. Growers also listed controlling input costs, profitability, and inflation as the top challenges they are likely to face in the next five years.
When it comes to the use of funds from the Tennessee Corn Checkoff, growers considered the promotion of corn and value-added products the most important followed by research for new uses and trade.
Additionally, growers answered that advocacy at the state and federal levels provided the most value to their membership, in addition to the education of producers, consumers, and youth. Growers appreciated learning more about market development, research, and federal policy.
Lastly, growers were asked about their cover crop usage. Of the survey respondents, 85% currently use cover crops at an average of 40% of their acreage.