Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Push on to shelve ethanol mandate.


The livestock and poultry farmers who have opposed the requirement that gasoline contain at least five per cent ethanol figure the time is ripe to shelve that mandate.

So far there has been no evidence of a similar movement in Canada, but it could be coming on the heels of developments in the United States.

On Thursday, the American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation and dairy groups will hold briefings to present the results of a study conducted on their behalf by Thomas E. Elam, an agricultural economist and president of FarmEcon LLC.

“Corn users other than the ethanol industry need assurance of automatic market access in the event of a natural disaster and a sharp reduction in corn production — a fact that is right around the corner,” the groups said in a news release about the briefing. “

The new study argues that it is time to reform the current RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard”.