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Major New Speakers Just Confirmed!
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Georgia -- "Congressional Perspective on Future Agricultural and Trade Policy" -- Chambliss is the influential Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee . He will be the convention's leadoff keynote speaker on Monday, March 6.
Sen. Chambliss will address the upcoming farm bill debate, ongoing agricultural negotiations in the World Trade Organization, and a number of high-priority issues in the current Congressional session.
Ed Harris, Executive VP, Operations, Canadian National Railway -- "Meeting Rail Capacity and Service Challenges -- the CN's Approach" -- Harris also will speak during the Monday session to address challenges facing the railroads in enhancing efficiency and responding to the needs of agricultural shippers and receivers.
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Commodity Fund Panel Just Confirmed
A Major Hot Topic at this year's convention |
| "The Growing Influence of Commodity Fund Trading What Does It Mean for Grain Markets?"
When will funds sell, and what will market impacts be? How do fund managers view their future in buying/selling ag commodities? Anyone with questions about how commodity fund involvement in agricultural markets will affect hedging efficiency and marketing strategies for traditional market users -- like grain traders or producers -- will not want to miss this high-profile panel discussion, followed by Q&A from the audience!
Featured Panelists will include Kevin Rich, Managing Partner/Director of Commodity Asset Structuring, Deutsche Bank, New York, NY -- Rich played a lead role in the IPO of Deutsche Bank's new exchange-traded Commodity Index Tracking Fund and is a key manager for the fund. Daniel Raab, Managing Director/ Head of Commodity Indexing, AIG Financial Products Corp., Wilton, CT -- Raab played a key role in the creation of the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index and has been involved in structuring commodity and financial derivative transactions for 19 years. Robert Ray, Senior Vice President for Business Development, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago, IL How much fund money will enter ag markets? |
Convention Program
Highlights
Sunday, March 5
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NGFA Committee Meetings/Open Forums
NGFA committees will conduct afternoon work sessions open to all convention registrants. Attending is a great way to stay current on developing issues and participate in the NGFA's policymaking process.
In addition, two special Open Forums are confirmed:
Open Forum: “Rail Service, Capacity and Fuel Surcharges
and Service Issues”
This Open Forum will zero in on
challenges facing rail shippers and receivers, including a
discussion of rail fuel surcharges and a range of service and capacity issues facing the railroads and their customers. The
town hall-style forum will give shippers/receivers an opportunity
to ask questions and express concerns to presenters, including:
Douglas Buttrey (confirmed), Chairman, Surface Transportation
Board, Washington, D.C.; and Kevin Kaufman (confirmed), Vice
President, Agricultural Group, BNSF Railway, Forth Worth, Texas.
Open Forum: “Update on Grain Inspection Activities and
Biotechnology – Challenges and Opportunities”
This
Open Forum will feature a town hall-style discussion on such issues as implementing independent third-party official
inspection service at export elevators; newly emerging issues
surrounding aflatoxin testing in foreign markets; and current
biotechnology-related issues, focusing on increasing
international acceptance of biotech-enhanced commodities
while preserving U.S. export markets that desire conventional
commodities. Featured speakers include USDA Grain Inspection,
Packers and Stockyards Deputy Administrator David Shipman (confirmed) and Sean Darragh (confirmed), executive vice
president for food and agriculture at the Biotechnology Industry
Organization (BIO), both of Washington, D.C.
CBOT Welcome Reception
For the 32 nd year running, the Chicago Board of Trade will host the convention's signature opening event – a fabulous reception welcoming convention participants, this year held at the beautiful art-deco Riviera Theater across from the hotel. Don't miss it!
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Opening General Session
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (invited), R-Ga., has been invited to keynote the Opening General Session. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Chambliss is well-versed in the policy concerns of the grain, feed and processing industry and will provide a preview of next year's farm bill debate. Chambliss also will address priority issues for Congress during the 2006 legislative session.
In addition, Chicago Board of Trade Executive Vice President/ Chief Operation Officer, Bryan Durkin (confirmed), will discuss issues at the exchange, including an update on performance issues important to grain hedgers and market users.
An interactive panel will examine the increasingly important influence that commodity fund trading is having on agricultural futures markets and cash grain prices.
The NGFA convention has become known as an important forum for information on rail-related matters, and this year is no different.
A top executive with the Canadian National Railway, Homewood, Ill., has been invited to present a major address on the rail industry environment, rail capacity challenges and CN's efforts to serve agricultural shippers.
NGFF Classic Golf Tournament
Attention all golfers! Click Here for more information on the National Grain and Feed Foundation Classic , an annual “memorable golf experience” and benefit for the Foundation. Space is limited to 144 players , so sign up today! More details can be found by clicking here .
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Tuesday, March 7
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| General Session
Sharon Sydow (confirmed) , former director for agricultural trade policy at the U.S. Trade Representative's Office, will provide an insider's perspective on prospects for a meaningful WTO agreement and what it might mean to U.S. agriculture .
Biotechnology plays an increasingly important role in U.S. agriculture. To address the stunning pace of plant and animal biotechnology innovation, Jerry Steiner (confirmed), President, Food Traits, and Executive Vice President, Commercial Acceptance, Monsanto Co., will open the Tuesday General Session. Specific topics will include Monsanto's perspectives on: 1) efforts to enhance global consumer acceptance of plant and animal-based biotechnology; 2) whether food-based crops should continue to be used for producing pharmaceutical and industrial products, and if so, under what conditions; 3) potential changes to government regulatory standards/oversight to help ensure that unapproved biotech-enhanced events do not enter food or feed channels; and 4) how to address international challenges to biotechnology. He also will preview new biotech innovations currently in the pipeline, what traits/attributes those products will have, and how soon they may be ready for commercial release .
Ron DeHaven (confirmed), Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Washington, D.C., will speak on APHIS activities that directly affect the nation's grain, feed and processing industry. DeHaven's remarks will address: 1) oversight and regulation of biotechnology field trials, including any changes being contemplated to prevent inadvertent introduction of unapproved biotech products into the food/feed supply; 2) animal disease-prevention efforts, including steps to prepare for avian influenza; and 3) major sanitary and phytosanitary issues affecting U.S. exports of grain and grain products .
John Phipps (confirmed) is host of the U.S. Farm Report, as well as an award-winning columnist for Farm Journal and Top Producer magazines. Phipps will provide a substantive but light-hearted look at how managers can get more pleasure out of their jobs and, in doing so, can enhance service and communications. Phipps' humorous and insightful columns earned him the 2004 American Agricultural Editors Association's “Writer of the Year” award.
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