The National Pork Producers Council is insisting that the Obama administration study the economic impact of an expansion of corn-ethanol production and usage. In a letter to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy, the EPA Administrator and Carol Browner, who is assistant to the President for energy and climate change, NPPC asked that the administration bring stakeholders together to consider all possible impacts of corn-ethanol expansion.
NPPC wants the group to consider the extent to which increasing blend limits will further increase market speculation, affect grain and commodity markets and actually help the ethanol industry. Also, NPPC says, the administration should lead an effort to examine the effects of such an expansion on corn availability, the price elasticity of corn, the users of corn and rural work forces and industries associated with corn.
"In this new era of openness and transparency and calls for scientific integrity in Washington, I can't imagine anyone or any organization being opposed to a study on the effects of producing and using more corn ethanol," said NPPC President Don Butler. "We hope the Obama administration and Congress provide answers to the questions surrounding ethanol expansion before rushing to change ethanol policy — that's the America way."
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