A consortium of livestock producers including the National Chicken Council, the American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council and National Turkey Federation have addressed letters to the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate relating to ending support for the ethanol industry.
The letter stated, “Although we support the need to develop renewable and alternative sources of energy, we strongly believe it is time that the mature corn-based ethanol industry operates on a level playing field with other commodities. Using corn as the largest input cost, favoring one segment of agriculture at the expense of another, does not benefit agriculture as a whole or the consumers who ultimately purchase our products.”
Currently, the ethanol industry enjoys a tax credit of 45 cents per gallon for ethanol added to gasoline in addition to a substantial protective tariff on imported ethanol directed against sugar-cane based product from Brazil.
