Spencer, IA: (May 30,, 2012) - The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board have announced plans to conduct a referendum in July to increase the corn checkoff by a quarter of a cent per bushel.
 
The checkoff is currently three-quarters of a cent per bushel. If the increase is approved, it would be one cent per bushel.
 
Any producer who marketed 250 bushels of corn last year is eligible to vote. Voting will take place on Tuesday, July 10^th, at local county extension offices.
 
The checkoff was established by producer referendum in 1977. It was last raised in 2008. The checkoff is collected on corn that enters commercial channels like elevators or ethanol plants, but not on grain used on-farm by livestock producers.
 
Checkoff dollars are used for research, education, promotion and market development.