USDA project targets Washington for camelina production
Washington Ag Today July 27, 2011 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the creation of four additional BCAP, or Biomass Crop Assistance Program project areas in six states, including Washington, to expand the availability of non-food crops to be used in the manufacturing of liquid biofuels. Two of the BCAP project areas, targeted for California, Montana, Washington and Oregon, will grow camelina on a significant scale. The oilseed can be a rotation crop for wheat and biofuel from camelina is an ideal jet fuel substitute. The project has a target of 51-thousand acres of camelina. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack explains what farmers who participate in the BCAP project get. Vilsack: “Producers who enter into these BCAP contracts will be eligible to receiving reimbursement for up to 75% of the establishment costs of the crop and up to five year‘s of annual maintenance payments for the grass crops and up to 15 years for woody crops, so that it provides some assistance in terms of putting the crop in the ground and then some additional assistance for a period of time to defer the expenses associated with this new crop.” The announcement coincided with the first anniversary of a joint announcement by USDA, Boeing and the Air Transportation Association on an initiative to bring sustainable and renewable aviation fuels to the marketplace. Sign up begins August 8th at FSA offices. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.
