Agricultural News
American Meat Institute Commends House Members Seeking RFS Waiver from EPA
Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:21:34 CDT
The American Meat Institute joined a coalition of groups calling on the EPA for a waiver reducing the mandate that ethanol be blended in gasoline. A bipartisan group of 156 members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson urging EPA to adjust the renewable fuel standard mandate for 2012 immediately to provide relieve from high corn prices caused by the mandate and the drought.
"One of the nation's worst droughts in 50 years has hit the Midwest especially hard at a very sensitive time for the U.S. grain crops," the House members wrote in a letter that was spearheaded by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) and Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC). "Currently, only about 31 percent of the corn crop is in "good" or "excellent" condition, representing record lows."
"While the government cannot control the weather, it fortunately has one tool still available that can directly impact corn demand. By adjusting the normally rigid Renewable Fuel Standard Manage down to align with the current market conditions, the federal government can help avoid a dangerous economic situation because of the prolonged record high cost of corn."
Reps. Goodlatte, Womack and McIntyre also held a press conference to unveil the letter. "We should not be a in a position where we are choosing between fuel and food," Rep. Goodlatte told reporters. "The biggest travesty of all is that government policies have created this problem," but he noted that it is a problem they have the power to fix
"The U.S. meat and poultry industry appreciates the leadership of these lawmakers in helping press for appreciates the leadership of these lawmakers in helping press for relief from the current drought," said AMI President J. Patrick Boyle. "We are facing record-breaking drought and record corn prices, which stand to hurt livestock and poultry producers now and consumers longer term as they grapple with inevitable higher meat and poultry prices that these conditions will generate."
Click here to read the petition signed by AMI.
To view the House letter, click here.
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