South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC)
About SDCUC
The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC) is one of the most active commodity organizations in South Dakota, serving the interests of all South Dakota corn producers. The SDCUC is a board of 15 farmers from across the state who are elected by their fellow corn producers. This producer board has the mission of increasing the profitability of corn production. They do this by developing and maintaining new and existing markets for corn and corn products.
The SDCUC collects and administers the 1-cent Check-Off, which is remitted on each bushel of corn sold in South Dakota. This special fund makes needed corn utilization research possible, allowing the SDCUC to develop new and innovative uses for corn and corn byproducts which benefit South Dakota economically and environmentally.
SDCUC’s effective coordination of research, education and market development programs is quite a success story. On the research front alone, SDCUC has invested several million dollars in expanding and establishing a wider marker for the uses of corn, agronomic production, and the use of ethanol’s co-product DDGS (see the RESEARCH link to the left to find out the current research projects the SDCUC is funding). In market development the SDCUC has made and important impact in the ethanol industry where they were the catalyst in creating a market for over 150 million bushels of corn. The SDCUC also continues to lay groundwork for the expansion of the livestock industry in South Dakota -- this is our state's number one industry and the SDCUC is striving to help it evolve and grow as economic and political factors change. For a look at the Market Development opportunities in South Dakota see the MARKET DEVELOPMENT link to the left. And as always, Promotion and Education are an on-going effort for the SDCUC; we continue to educate producers and consumers on economic, legislative, and environmental topics that directly affect the state of South Dakota.
South Dakota corn producers, through SDCUC Check-Off dollars, also fund the U.S. Grains Council, U.S. Meat Export Federation, the American Coalition for Ethanol, and the National Corn Growers Association.
Corn Check-Off...it's an investment in everybody’s future!