Corn group
stops in county

By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

The first of six stops on a summer listening tour of the Kansas Corn Commission was Aug. 2 in Tampa. It was the first time the commission had stopped in Marion County, CEO Josh Roe said.

The commission is made up of farmers elected from each of nine reporting districts in the state. It determines how checkoff funds are invested in market development, education, promotion, and research.

Host for the Tampa visit was Derek Belton, who became representative of the sixth district in April.

After a catered meal, guests listened to a panel discuss issues related to corn production.

“Ten days ago, the corn crop looked good. It’s gone downhill since then,” Belton said, “but there will be some corn.”

On a positive note, the market outlook for cow/calf operators looks good for the next two to five years. Many cows have been sold because of drought, and heifers have not been retained for the same reason.