Ethanol Gets More Government Support
Pork Magazine:
Just when you thought the ethanol industry had received more than its share of government support, USDA Secretary Ed Schafer has other ideas. He believes the government should extend loans to ethanol plants that bought corn at the higher prices that prevailed earlier this year.
After all, without more government aid, how can the ethanol industry expect to succeed when forced to pay such high prices for corn?
This latest proposed support for the ethanol industry comes on top of the government-mandated production levels, blender’s credit and tariff on ethanol imports. One would think these already-existing supports would be enough to get the nascent ethanol industry up and running.
The National Pork Producers Council was quick to remind Secretary Schafer that the ethanol industry was not the only one challenged by high corn prices and to point out the economic land-mine that confronts the pork industry due to ethanol’s seemingly endless government support.
In a letter to Schafer signed by the NPPC, the American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Meat Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Turkey Federation and the United Egg Producers, the groups summarized animal agriculture’s continuing challenge posed by additional government aid to the ethanol industry.
“We in animal agriculture are particularly concerned that you would consider adding one more level of support for the corn-based ethanol industry,” the groups told Schafer.
The letter says that high corn prices have already caused animal agriculture real pain. The three legs of support for domestic ethanol have already had serious impact on those who produce meat for Americans and the world.
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