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Ongoing Agricultural News and Information
---EPA DENIES BID TO RELAX RENEWABLE FUELS STANDARD---The Environmental Protection Agency has denied a bid to relax the federal standard for renewable fuels in the U.S. gasoline supply for 2008 and 2009, asserting that the mandate for more ethanol in gasoline has not had a major effect on food prices.
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said the agency has found that the renewable fuels standard (RFS), which requires 9 billion gallons of ethanol or other renewable fuels in the nation's fuel supply in 2008 and 11.1 billion gallons in 2009, is “not causing severe economic harm,” which is one of the criteria for a waiver under the Clean Air Act. At the same time, Johnson said, the mandate is strengthening U.S. energy security. Texas Gov. Rick Perry had requested a waiver of the renewable fuels standard.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said the EPA decision sends a positive signal regarding the substantial benefits of renewable fuels. “We’re pleased that the EPA did not turn its back on the promise of renewable fuels,” Stallman said.
Perry requested a 50-percent waiver of the national volume requirement for the RFS. Implementation of the RFS will continue as legislated in the Energy Policy Act of 2007, according to the EPA.
Studies by Texas A&M University and Purdue University show the requested waiver would have little impact on feed and food prices. The Purdue study tied most of the recent spike in corn prices to higher oil prices, which in turn had caused the demand for ethanol and corn to jump.
AFBF
news release
EPA announcement
Texas A&M
study
Purdue
study
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---USDA SEEKS COMMENTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE---The Agriculture Department published a request in the Federal Register Wednesday seeking public input on its “Strategic Plan for Climate Change Research, Education and Extension.” The strategic plan will guide which priority actions USDA will undertake to address climate change issues.
The draft sets four broad goals: understanding the effects of climate change on agricultural systems; developing knowledge and tools to adapt to climate change and improve resilience of these systems; developing knowledge and tools to reduce agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions; and delivering climate change technology to agencies and stakeholders for improved decision-making.
Agriculture could be affected by climate change and climate related policy in a number of different ways. Growing seasons, cropping patterns and conditions are subject to alteration by changing climate. Additionally, producers may choose to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester greenhouse gases in the soil through sequestration.
These reductions may become more important if cap and trade legislation is passed or if the United States enters into an international agreement for greenhouse gas reductions. USDA can play an important role through research and education to assist producers. This role will be defined by the strategic plan.
The deadline for submitting comments is Sept. 19. AFBF will be submitting comments. AFBF asks state Farm Bureaus to review the draft plan and provide suggestions on how USDA can best help producers address climate issues. For more information contact Rick Krause at rickk@fb.org or 202-406-3664.
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---JAPAN HALTS SHIPMENTS FROM CARGILL PLANT---Japanese officials announced today they have suspended imports from the Cargill beef plant in Dodge City, Kan., after mincemeat was found in a shipment of beef to Japan from that facility.
Japanese officials said the presence of mincemeat in the shipments violated terms of trade between the United States and Japan as no processed beef products are allowed. Japan has blocked shipments from three of the 40 U.S. beef plants eligible to ship product to Japan. Reuters reports that Japan is asking the U.S. government to look into the matter.
---USDA PROVIDES $49 MILLION FOR FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES---The Agriculture Department will provide $49 million in fresh fruit and vegetables for elementary school children during the school day.
The 2008 farm bill amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act by adding section 19, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. This new section replaces a previous program in a limited number of states, and expands fresh fruits and vegetables to selected schools in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
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---URBAN AGRICULTURE GAINING FAVOR---Urban agriculture has been slowly growing since the late 1990s according to an Examiner article. Strong emphasis on urban agriculture solves several societal problems, the article points out. It reduces transportation costs and carbon fuel usage, improves the nutritional value of food and improves national food security.
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---CBO PEGS 2008 BUDGET SHORTFALL AT $400 BILLION---The Congressional Budget Office says the federal budget will post a sharp increase in red ink in the current budget year, estimating the 2008 cash shortfall to climb to somewhere around $400 billion. That estimate appears slightly more pessimistic than the recent Office of Management and Budget update, which forecasted the 2008 deficit at about $389 billion. But the CBO estimate is below a recent average forecast of major securities firms that trade in treasury debt, which predicted a $413 billion budget gap.
CBO
Monthly Budget Review
Reuters
article
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---USDA TO ALLOW HAYING ON CRP LAND IN FLOODED AREAS---The Agriculture Department will allow landowners in areas hit by floods earlier this year to harvest hay from their Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage.
Under the rules of this assistance effort, landowners must wait until the primary nesting season for wildfowl is over before beginning hay production, cut hay no more than once, leave half of each field unharvested and conclude hay production by Sept. 30. Also, landowners who harvest hay under this provision will see their annual rental payment from USDA cut by 25 percent.
The decision applies to designated counties in 16 states: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Iowa
Independent article
Des
Moines Register article
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---AFBF NAMED TO ANSI COMMITTEE---AFBF was selected as one of 58 members (out of 200 applicants) to be on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) committee that will help determine the standards for sustainable agriculture.
In October 2007, the Leonardo Academy, an ANSI accredited standards facilitator, released a draft standard for sustainable agriculture. In its draft form, the standard only covers crop production and limits production to organic practices. Additionally, it calls for strict enforcement of international labor standards and addresses global warming through a complex carbon footprint mechanism.
If the draft standard is adopted as an ANSI standard, it could then be promoted at the international level as part of the International Standards Organization (ISO) process.
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---NCGA CONCERNED ABOUT CARBOFURAN BAN---The National Corn Growers Association is concerned about the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to revoke food tolerances for carbofuran, an important pesticide used to control corn rootworm. The EPA’s proposal would be a first step toward total cancellation of the product in the United States.
Ron Litterer, NCGA president, says an outright ban goes too far and hopes the industry can convince EPA to allow for at least a limited use of carbofuran to protect the nation’s corn supply. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has asked EPA to consider alternatives other than complete cancellation of all uses of carbofuran.
EPA carbofuran cancellation process
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