Texas Governor Joins Coalition in Requesting RFS Waiver

By CnAgri2012-08-27 19:18:35 Print

The request for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard mandate has gotten more attention now that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas announcing that his state is joining the coalition.

Texas joins more than 180 members of Congress, the governors of Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico and North Carolina, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and other livestock groups in requesting that relief from high corn prices be brought to the thousands of producers who are struggling to feed their animals amid the worst drought in roughly 50 years.

"Texas is the largest beef cattle state in the country. By Gov. Perry announcing that his state is joining this coalition and expressing their support for waiving the RFS, it's evident that cattlemen and women nationwide are continuing to experience the negative effects of this drought," said Bob McCan, NBCA Vice President and cattleman from Victoria, Texas. "The coalition's request is simple - EPA must waive the RFS. The mandate creates an uneven playing field for farmers and ranchers, and has directly affected the cost of feed in agricultural parts of the country, which could lead to an increase in food prices for consumers."

Under the RFS requirements, 13.2 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol must be produced in 2012 and 13.8 billion gallons in 2013, amounts that will use about 40 percent of the nation's corn crop. Due to this year's drought, some agricultural forecasters now are estimating that just 11.8 billion bushels of corn will be harvested this year, meaning corn-ethanol production will use about four of every 10 bushels.