USDA announced last week it will launch a program worth 100-million dollars to help fund infrastructure projects to increase the availability of higher blends of ethanol. American-made, clean energy sources support the environment, reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, create jobs and sustain the economy in rural communities across the country. Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says this Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership is a tremendous win for American consumers - as USDA is helping advance consumer choice and market access for higher blends of cleaner burning, American made, renewable fuels.

Several ag groups are lobbying to reopen the 1985 Act that established the beef checkoff at a one-dollar per head assessment in order to increase the assessment rate to two-dollars per head. Chandler Keys of the Keys Group says this could be a dangerous step for the beef industry in today’s Congress. If a federal dollar checkoff came up to a national level they would give you a five-dollar checkoff, 100-dollars a head, with everything refundable - including the original dollar. The Beef Checkoff Working Group doesn’t want the first dollar of the checkoff touched - but would be fine with the second dollar being refundable.

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