Where's Immigration Reform & Will RFS Make Any Difference

Where's Immigration Reform & Will RFS Make Any Difference plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

At the beginning of the year - it looked like immigration reform would occur as both parties seemed to want to move it along. But reform legislation is stuck in the House - though Speaker John Boehner claims it's not dead. According to Politico - immigration reform supporter and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says there's a loss of confidence in the government's ability - what with the government shutdown and the issues rolling out the Affordable Care Act - which he says makes it difficult for people to trust the government to handle immigration reform properly and effectively.

A Top USDA Economist isn't convinced yet what - if any - difference the EPA proposed reduction in the Renewable Fuels Standard will make in ethanol and corn demand. There's no question EPA could drive down U.S. demand for ethanol should it implement its proposed rule next year to reduce the RFS from 18-billion to 15-billion gallons. But the so-called blend wall - where the market is saturated with ethanol - could evaporate if other ways are found to prop up demand. E-15 pumps at more filling stations - if retailers can be convinced to install them - would boost demand - as would greater exports - according to USDA World Ag Outlook Board Chair Gerald Bange.

BANGE: We do know that we have seen some substantial ethanol exports of late and we also know that we had been seeing a fair amount of blended gasoline being exported.

Now China is trying to meet a growing demand for corn. Gray Crawford has the story.

(USDA Report)

Thanks Gary. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.