Two new organizations have entered the fight for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) today as concerns about the future of the RFS deepen with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed 2014 renewable fuels volumes going south. VoteVets.org and Americans United for Change held a press teleconference to announced their participation in the counteroffensive against what they are calling, “Big Oil’s …
2013 NAFB Convention
NAFB 2013 was held November 13-15 in Kansas City, Missouri at the Westin Hotel at Crown Center. The chilly weather didn’t stop anybody from attending the 70th annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention, where hundreds of farm broadcasters came together to discuss the pressing topics of the industry. Photos: 2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album Audio: Airing on the Side …
IRFA’s Shaw: Obama Admin Needs Soul Searching
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) is urging the Obama Administration to conduct a thorough soul-searching after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its proposal to “radically” reduce Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) levels for 2014. “Today’s RFS announcement represents the biggest policy reversal of the entire Obama Administration,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw during a press teleconference. “The …
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack at NAFB
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the 70th National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Annual Convention in Kansas City on Friday. The Secretary centered his comments around the RFS announcement, record levels of exports, drought issues and the farm bill. He also answered questions from the broadcasters. Listen to or download the entire one hour press conference: 2013 NAFB Convention Photo …
EPA Announces 2014 RVOs, Industry Reacts
Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its proposal for the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the amount of renewable fuels to be blended into gasoline and diesel. The EPA has proposed to set the cellulosic biofuel category at 17 million gallons, biomass-based diesel at 1.28 billion gallons, advanced biofuel at 2.20 …
ASFMRA Agronomics Vision 2014
The 84th Annual Convention of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers is being held in conjunction with the Agronomics Vision 2014 conference in Reno, NV. Here are photos and audio and video files for your use. More will be added as they get edited. We’re expecting about a dozen or more in total. Photos: Agronomics Vision 2014 …
Ethanol Industry Responds to AP Article
The ethanol industry is responding to an Associated Press “investigative report” to be released Tuesday on the renewable fuel’s environmental impact. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and CEO Bob Dinneen was interviewed for the story and comments in this report. Fuels America held a conference call with Geoff Cooper, RFA Vice President of research and analysis, and Leroy Perkins, an Iowa …
MGEX November Crop Call
USDA issued its November Crop Production forecast on Friday, calling for a record corn crop of just a hair under 14 billion bushels. During the Minneapolis Grain Exchange conference call on the report, Mike Krueger of The Money Farm commented on both the new production forecast and the new WASDE report.
Group Hopeful Conference will end Catfish Program
The National Fisheries Institute is hopeful that the farm bill conference committee will finally repeal the USDA catfish inspection program that was authorized in the 2008 farm bill. In this interview, Gavin Gibbons with the Institute, talks about support in Congress for the repeal and threats of WTO-sanctioned retaliation against U.S. ag exports by Vietnam and China if the law …
RFA CEO on AAA, EPA, RFS, and RVO
Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and CEO Bob Dinneen fears “the Obama Administration is about to make a huge mistake” in lowering the volume requirements (RVO) for ethanol under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Dinneen also talks about the RFA’s response to AAA comments about the safety of E15 and how a recent NREL study proves it is safe in this …
USFRA Boston Food Dialogues
This week the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance held a Food Dialogues event in Boston, MA. You can find out more about it on their website. The event was moderated by Bloomberg News’ Alan Bjerga and the topic was “Farm Size: Does It Really Matter.” The event took place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT at the State Room …
House Passes WRRDA
By a vote of 417 to 3 on Wednesday, the House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), a bill that includes provisions to update locks and dams on the nation’s transportation waterways critical to agricultural trade. Two representatives from Illinois are particularly pleased with their contributions to the Water Resources Reform and Development Act or WRRDA overwhelmingly …
Animal Ag Alliance Teleconference
Today the Animal Agriculture Alliance hosted a teleconference with various third-party experts to discuss industry improvements presented in the report “Advances in Animal Agriculture; What the Center for a Livable Future, Pew Commission and Others Aren’t Telling You About Food Production.” (pdf) Third-party experts on the call included: Dr. Richard Raymond, former Under Secretary, Food Safety Inspection Service, United States …
Commodity Classic and AG CONNECT Announcement
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association today announced a new collaborative venture that joins two leading industry trade show experiences – Commodity Classic and AG CONNECT Expo & Summit. The inaugural event will be held March 3-5, 2016, in New Orleans. The Commodity Classic shows scheduled for 2014 and 2015 will …
TATT Roundtable and World Food Prize
The Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) 2013 Global Farmer Roundtable was held in conjunction with the 2013 World Food Prize (WFP) Borlaug Dialogues in Des Moines the week of October 14, 2013. Thousands of agriculture and food industry representatives from around the world attend the events surrounding World Food Prize each year with the common goal of feeding a …