The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry held a hearing on Thursday to review the impact of increased biofuels production and higher feed costs on the livestock industry. Congressmen heard from one high-ranking USDA official, six livestock industry representatives and the country’s leading expert on the ethanol co-product known as dried distillers grains which is used as a livestock feed.
Virtually every livestock representative testifying had a statement similar to Joy Philippi of Nebraska, immediate past president of the National Pork Producers Council – that they “support the development and the use of alternative and renewable fuels as a way to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil, but we continue to have the jitters over the rapid rise of corn ethanol production in our country.”
The livestock and poultry producers also were united in their call for reducing or eliminating incentives for biofuels production. “This means we are calling for sunsetting the existing blenders tax credit and the ethanol import tariff as scheduled in 2010 and 2009 respectively,” said Ernie Morales, a cattle feeder and rancher from southwest Texas, who spoke for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
However, in separate press conferences Thursday, the chairmen of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees disagreed.
Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa, always a strong advocate for livestock producers, said, “I understand maybe where they’re coming from, but I think these things have a way of leveling out.” He believes the anticipated increase in corn acreage this year will help bring prices down to more manageable levels.
House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota pointed out that grain producers are finally getting a fair price for their crop. “What people fail to recognize is that over the last number of years, corn prices have been substantially below the cost of production and the livestock industry has benefited from this,” said Peterson.
Several of the livestock industry witnesses at the hearing admitted that the situation is likely short term and that much of the current concern is due to the unprecedented rapid growth in ethanol production. As Iowa dairy producer Rob Wonderlich, testifying on behalf of Dairy Farmers of America, told the committee, “This biofuels revolution occurred very quickly and did not allow … the livestock industries to properly adapt, which has sent a shock across the industries in the form of increased operating costs.”
The City of Coral Gables, Florida will be the first city in South Florida to use biodiesel in the city’s vehicle fleet.
When it opens this summer, the Imperium Renewables plant is expected to produce 100 million gallons of biodiesel a year and will become the largest in the country. And all that biodiesel means increased shipping for the area. In fact, the 
Two Republican senators voiced concerns Wednesday about a potential U.S.-Brazil ethanol accord.
South Dakota Republican John Thune argues that elimination of the tariff is counter-productive to the intention of developing a strong domestic ethanol industry. “This is something that is very good for American agricultural producers,” he said. “So it doesn’t make sense for us to be trying to develop that industry elsewhere around the world nor to make us dependent on a foreign source of energy when the whole purpose is to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.”
Ethanol industry leader 
RFA President Bob Dinneen issued the following 
Osborn says the first race of the season is the 
Osborn says the alternative portion is the fact that his VW runs on diesel… an alternative to the racing petrol most other racers use. And he says since it does run on diesel, there is always the possibility of another alternative… biodiesel… could make it into his racer. “The performance issues with diesel and biodiesel are sonmething at their infancies in the United States, and something we’d like to puruse.”
While he likes to grab the checkered flag, Osborn says his racing has a bigger purpose. Chili Pepper Racing has been racing for charities for years. Now, he races for a more personal purpose. Last year, he lost his eight-week-old infant son to cancer. “Over the winter, we took some of this pain we had were feeling and tried to turn it into some positive energy and formed the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.” Osborn says they’ll race this season in “Hatch’s” name.
The plant will produce up to five megawatts of electricity and will run on biodiesel from a 
Imperium Renewables has announced it has achieved a BQ-9000 certification for its Seattle-based refineries.