Agribusiness Update for Friday 05/16/14

Six senators held a press conference yesterday with biodiesel producers as the National Biodiesel Board released a survey of 54 biodiesel producers showing nearly 80-percent have reduced production this year. NBB Vice President of Federal Affairs Anne Steckel says inconsistency in Washington is wreaking havoc on the U.S. biodiesel industry - and hurting producers, local economies, the environment, national security and consumers. The Senators urged the Obama Administration not to reduce the biodiesel volumetric requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

The Environmental Protection Agency has decided to extend the comment period for proposed revisions to the agricultural Worker Protection Standard for 60-days - through August 18th. Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Jim Jones says updating the 20-year old regulation to provide more protections to the nation's 2-million farm workers and their families from pesticide exposure is a priority for EPA - and the agency is committed to getting the revision right.

That's today's Agribusiness Update from the Ag Information Network.