Agricultural News
Coburn Introduces Bill to Stop Ethanol Subsidies
Tue, 03 May 2011 17:17:41 CDT
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma along with Senator Dianne Feinstein of California have introduced the Ethanol Subsidy and Tariff Repeal Act. The bill would end 30 years and more than 30-billion dollars of taxpayer support for the corn-based ethanol industry and would, as some believe, level the playing field for all commodities relying on corn as a major input.
Bill Donald, President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association says NCBA supports the development of renewable and alternative fuels and we know ethanol plays a role in reducing our dependence on foreign oil. However he says NCBA doesn't support forcing taxpayers to prop up an industry that should be able to stand on its own two feet. All we are asking is to compete head-to-head for a bushel of corn.
Donald says VEETC and the ethanol import tariff put other end-users of corn, including cattlemen and women, at a severe competitive disadvantage. According to Donald, from December 2007 to February 2010, the cattle feeding sector of the beef industry lost a record 7-billion dollars in equity due to high feed costs and economic factors that have negatively affected beef demand.
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