The National Corn Growers Association is a trade association comprised of U.S. corn farmers that promotes the corn industry and the expansion of corn usage in the U.S. and abroad. The group lobbies on a variety of federal tax and agriculture policies beneficial to corn farmers, including the Farm Bill and a variety of federal programs aiding corn farming and crop protection. The association also operates a political action committee, the CornPAC, that supports both Republican and Democratic candidates for the U.S. Congress. ^{1 2 3}

Background and History

The National Corn Growers Association was founded in 1957 and, as of 2025, reports representing over 36,000 dues-paying corn growers in 48 states, while also advocating for the interests of over 300,000 farmers who fund the organization and its affiliates through mandatory commodity-checkoff programs that fund the association and its state affiliates. ^{4 5}

The association also operates a network of state affiliates, which include state corn associations and state corn promotion boards. Such state affiliates often cover other crops in states with a smaller corn-growing sector, with examples including the Louisiana Cotton and the Grain Association, the Alabama Soybean and Corn Association, and the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board. Among the association’s larger affiliates are the Illinois Corn Growers Association, the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA), the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), the Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA), and the Nebraska Corn Board (NCB). ⁶

The association is listed as a member of the Conservation Technology Information Center, a membership organization that advocates for sharing agriculture practices and green technology information. The Center has been supported by several government agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture. ^{7 8}

Activity

In 2024, the organization adopted a five-year strategic plan that outlines operational and policy priorities for the association, including continued promotion of favorable tax policies and incentive programs benefitting corn, including supporting “Congress and federal government agencies adopt[ing] policies supporting the introduction and expansion of new products sourced from corn (e.g. sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), bio-based chemistries, fuel for medium/heavy duty and off-road vehicles, etc.).” ⁹

The association has also adopted national sustainability goals for the year 2030, including a 13 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, increasing irrigation water efficiency by 15 percent, and increasing energy efficiency by 13 percent. ¹⁰

Policy Positions

The National Corn Growers Association lobbies on a variety of federal tax and agriculture policies beneficial to corn farmers, including the Farm Bill and a variety of federal programs aiding corn farming and crop protection. The group supports the Clean Fuel Production Credit (CFPC), which provides a tax credit for corn-based aviation fuels, and according to the organization, “will aid in the domestic demand for corn via the aviation sector.” ¹

The group also supports extending several provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TJCA) regarding expensing, deductions, and estate and gift tax exemptions. ¹

The group also lobbies for the Farm Bill, the comprehensive agriculture and nutrition aid legislation passed by the U.S. Congress every five to six years. The association supports a comprehensive Farm Bill reauthorization in 2025 and supports the expansion of crop insurance programs as well as an expansion of other safety net programs for corn growers, including supporting “improvements to the farm safety net through strengthening the commodity programs Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).” ¹¹

The association’s Farm Bill priorities also support voluntary USDA conservation programs that advance “the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.” ¹¹

Political Action Committee

The National Corn Growers Association operates the National Corn Growers Association Political Action Committee, which it calls the CornPAC. The PAC contributes primarily to incumbent U.S. Representatives, consistently giving to Republicans at a higher rate than Democrats. The PAC raised $638,000 in 2024 and made $511,000 in contributions to candidates, which included $340,000 to Republicans and $170,000 to Democrats. ¹²

Farmers for Soil Health

The National Corn Growers Association is listed as a partner of the Farmers for Soil Health Project, a program funded by a $95.4 million Biden administration-era grant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for “climate smart corn and soybeans.” ^{13 14}

1. “Federal Tax Policy.” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://ncga.com/key-issues/current-priorities/federal-tax-policy
2. “Farm Bill.” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://ncga.com/key-issues/current-priorities/farm-bill
3. “CornPAC.” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://ncga.com/about-ncga/cornpac
4. “How the Nebraska Corn Checkoff Program Supports Local Farmers.” Nebraska Corn Board. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://nebraskacorn.gov/cornstalk/corn101/how-the-nebraska-corn-checkoff-program-supports-local-farmers/
5. “Mission and Vision.” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://ncga.com/about-ncga/who-we-are/mission-and-vision
6. “State Affiliates.” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://ncga.com/about-ncga/who-we-are/state-affiliates
7. “Who We Are.” Conservation Technology Information Center. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.ctic.org/about/who_we_are
8. “Current Members.” Conservation Technology Information Center, Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.ctic.org/membership/current_members
9.  “NCGA Strategic Plan (2024).” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://dt176nijwh14e.cloudfront.net/file/708/NCGA_StrategicPlan_Booklet_0822_NoBleed.pdf
10.  “Sustainability.” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://ncga.com/key-issues/other-topics/sustainability
11. “2025 Farm Bill Priorities.” National Corn Growers Association. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://dt176nijwh14e.cloudfront.net/file/752/2025%20Farm%20Bill%20Primer%20v.4.pdf
12. “PAC Profile: National Corn Growers Assn.” OpenSecrets. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/illinois-corn-growers-assn/C00376343/summary/2024
13. ^[1] Thayer, Parker. “DOGE and the Department of Agriculture’s Climate-Smart Grants.” Capital Research Center. March 14, 2025. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://capitalresearch.org/article/doge-and-department-of-agricultures-climate-smart-grants/
14. “Farming for Soil Health: 2023 Grant Slate.” National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. May 16, 2023. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/NFWF-FSH-20230516-GS-Final.pdf