April 22, 2024
EPA Issues Waiver for E15 Sales
The Environmental Protection Agency is issuing an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline to be sold during the summer driving season. The agency says the move will provide communities with relief at the pump from ongoing market supply issues created by the ongoing Ukraine war and conflict in the Middle East by increasing the fuel supply and offering a variety of fuel blends that consumers can choose from. “EPA is taking action to ensure that American consumers have more choices at the pump,” says Administrator Michael Regan. “Allowing E15 sales during the summer driving season will increase fuel supply while supporting American farmers, strengthening our nation’s energy security, and providing relief to drivers across the country.” Current estimates indicate that on average, E15 is about 25 cents a gallon cheaper than E10. The Clean Air Act allows the EPA administrator to temporarily waive certain fuel requirements to address shortages.
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Corn Growers Applaud EPA Decision on E15
The Environmental Protection Agency used its authority to prevent drivers from losing access to lower-cost and lower-emission E15, a higher ethanol blend marketed as Unleaded 88. The National Corn Growers, who have advocated for the move, applauded the decision. “This waiver is good news for corn growers and those in rural America who will benefit economically from this decision and for consumers who will save money at the pump during a busy travel season,” says NCGA President Harold Wolle. “We deeply appreciate the EPA, the administration, and our congressional allies for all their work on this issue.” Under current policy, E15 cannot be sold at terminals beginning on May 1 and at retail stations starting on June 1. NCGA is working with allies, including the petroleum industry, on federal legislation that would provide permanent, year-round access to E15. Higher ethanol blends help significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and fuel prices.
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Cattle Producers Wrap Up in Washington, D.C.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association finished a successful Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. The three-day event brought in cattle producers from across the country to Washington to meet with federal agencies and their elected members of Congress. “The conference was a great opportunity to meet with our representatives and discuss issues with agencies like USDA, EPA, and the Fish and Wildlife Service,” says NCBA President Mark Eisele. “I’m thankful for the NCBA team’s work they do every day in D.C., and meetings like this are so valuable for showing policymakers how the decisions they make in Washington impact our farms and ranches thousands of miles away.” This year, 300 cattle producers traveled to Washington and participated in 170 meetings on Capitol Hill. During the three-day event, NCBA members discussed their priorities for the next farm bill, including the need for animal health, disaster relief, risk management, and voluntary conservation programs. ***********************************************************************************
USDA Accepting Application for Colombia Trade Mission
USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor will lead an agribusiness trade mission to Colombia on August 13-15. USDA is now accepting applications from current and potential U.S. exporters who have interest in joining the delegation. “Colombia represents a top-tier food and agricultural destination for American farmers, ranchers, and processors,” says Taylor. “As the second-most populous country in South America, Colombia enjoys highly favorable demographics coupled with 20 years of continuous economic growth,” she says. Colombia is the largest South American market for U.S. agricultural products and the seventh-largest market for U.S. food and beverage exports globally. Since the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement was implemented in 2012, U.S. ag exports to Colombia have grown 237 percent, reaching a record $3.7 billion in 2023. Export opportunities to Colombia include healthy foods, fresh fruit, meat and meat products, beans, seafood, dairy products, and more. For more information, go to fas.usda.gov.
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Volatile Weather Possible in Early May
AccuWeather forecasters say the spring severe weather season may quickly shift into high gear with favorable tornado conditions in the final days of April and through the first two weeks of May. “It’s the time of the year when you don’t have to wait long for one severe weather outbreak to give way to another one,” says Long Range Forecaster Joe Lundberg of AccuWeather. “Springtime is a severe weather time of year, and we expect that this May will be no exception.” A cold front will move across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and the Northeast starting on April 23. It will stall out across the South-Central Plains and the northern Gulf states by April 25 and 26. Showers and thunderstorms can develop along the front in the Central Plains. “A strong, slow-moving storm will rotate through the southern Rockies and into the Plains in late April,” says Paul Pastelok of AccuWeather.
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BLM Rule Threatens Multiple Use of Public Lands
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council expressed concerns with a new rule from the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM’s final “Conservation and Landscape Health” rule reimagines the agency’s requirements to manage lands for multiple uses, including grazing. “Ranchers have always and will always be serious partners in conservation and sensible land management, but after a year of feedback from agricultural organizations and local stakeholders, BLM has decided to move forward with the most concerning parts of this proposal,” says NCBA President Mark Eisele. “It is incredibly concerning that this rule makes serious additions to the land leasing structure for federal lands without authorization or direction from Congress.” The final rule runs counter to the agency’s multiple-use mandate under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. NCBA and PLC fear the rule will open the door for grazing to get removed from federal rangelands entirely.
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