The Renewable Fuels Association is criticizing what it calls “specious” claims by EPA’s Science Advisory Board about the benefits of corn starch ethanol.
In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan – which also was sent to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack – RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper questioned the board’s assertion that a “scientific question” remains about “whether use of corn starch ethanol as a fuel reduces GHG emissions or not, relative to gasoline and diesel.”
“This scientific question has been answered,” Cooper says in a letter to Regan, adding, “We adamantly disagree with the SAB’s statement that ‘the best available science’ suggests there are ‘minimal or no climate benefits’ related to substituting corn ethanol for gasoline. Indeed, the best available science shows just the opposite.”
The SAB’s draft commentary, which has not been approved by the full SAB, has been posted on the board’s website. The full SAB is scheduled to discuss it at a meeting next month.
Vilsack at Minnesota State Fair
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack heads to the Minnesota State Fair this morning for a rural America roundtable discussion with local producers, small businesses and community leaders. Joining him will be the state’s two Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota’s fourth district, and Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Peterson.
USDA says Vilsack will announce “new investments to build and improve infrastructure in rural Minnesota.”
After Minnesota, Vilsack will head to Decatur, Illinois, to attend the Farm Progress Show, where he is expected to “to announce a major investment in clean energy for rural Americans” on Wednesday.
USDA expands livestock disaster payments for extreme heat and humidity
“The recent heat domes plaguing many parts of the country have proven to be un-survivable for some animals and temperatures are not expected to let up any time soon,” says Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux.
To assist livestock producers whose animals have died due to the high heat and humidity, they can now qualify for a higher indemnity payment set by the agency. FAS announced an increase of $374 for the Livestock Indemnity Program rate for beef calves over 800 pounds, to $1,618. Payments are made at a rate of 75% of the prior year’s average fair market value of the livestock.
Ducheneaux adds, “Given these circumstances and the trend towards higher weights in feedlots, it became clear that USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Payment rates were not reflective of the true market value for cattle. This change will better indemnify the investments producers have in the livestock they raise, and we will continue to find flexibilities where possible to help our farmers and ranchers in the wake of climate-related impacts.”
The rate will be effective immediately and applied retroactively starting Jan. 1, 2023. The agency in its release recognizes that livestock markets fluctuate and says the agency is “further exploring flexibilities to establish more current payment rates.”
USDA preps for first trade mission to Angola
USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small will lead the department’s first trade mission to the West African country of Angola from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, and applications are now being taken to join the trip.
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The U.S. exported about $237 million worth of ag and food products to Angola last year – most of which was poultry – according to USDA. Angola was the largest destination in Africa for U.S. poultry exports.
“When it comes to trade opportunity, Sub-Saharan Africa is both promising and often over-looked, and the USDA trade mission to Angola presents an incredible prospect for U.S. food and agriculture exporters to expand and explore new business opportunities,” said Torres Small. “Angola is one of the largest markets in Africa, and with imports making up more than half of its food market, Angola is a perfect location for U.S. exporters to introduce more American-made products to African consumers.”
House Ag labor working group gathering input from producers
The House Agriculture Committee's Agricultural Labor Working Group has created a new web page with a survey to gauge producer opinions on agricultural workforce issues.
The 14-member working group was established in May to help find solutions for labor shortages in the agriculture sector and is chaired by Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and Don Davis, D-N.C.
The group has been tasked with compiling an interim report analyzing the current H-2A program as well as a final report with recommendations.
Producers can take the survey here.
Ukraine deputy ag min under corruption investigation
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau is investigating Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi for allegedly being involved in a scheme to profit from overcharging the government for pasta products during the first months of the Russian invasion, according to a statement released by the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry.
The Ag Ministry says it is submitting reams of evidence that show that the deputy was neither directly in charge of the purchases and disbursement of the pasta and he had no relationship with the companies that supplied the pasta.
“Obviously, we need to remember the situation in which we all found ourselves in March 2022, and how important the speed of decision-making and the promptness of food delivery were,” the ministry said. “The situation changed every day, the threat of occupation by the enemy was the most real in the entire history of the state's existence. And issues, including food supply, had to be resolved day by day.”
Steve Davies, Jacqui Fatka and Noah Wicks contributed to this report. Questions, comments, tips? Email bill@agri-pulse.com
