09/11/06 Beef Trade Resumes & Biofuels Regulations

Beef trade resumes & new biofuels regulations. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns issued a statement that Korea has announced it will resume the importation of U.S. boneless beef from cattle under 30-months of age. According to Johanns - it`s taken several months of cooperative efforts between the U.S. and Korea to come to this announcement. But he says this is just a first step in normalizing trade of beef and beef products with Korea. Johanns says USDA will continue to work toward expanding U.S. access to the Korean market and other export markets to - and these are his words - achieve trade that is consistent with international guidelines. As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new biofuels regulations Thursday - EPA officials worked to calm ethanol industry fears that refiners may avoid using ethanol through credit trading - stating those fears are unfounded. The EPA's Renewable Fuels Standard - or RFS - rule implements the biofuels part of last year's energy bill - requiring 7.5-billion gallons of ethanol and biodiesel in the nation's fuel supply by 2012. And EPA spokesman John Millett says credit-trading where refiners that blend little ethanol buy credits from those that use biofuels - should not make a difference. MILLETT: We don't expect to see any problems with credit-trading. The petroleum industry has a lot of experience with this as does EPA. We've used it for other environmental regulations in the past so they're very familiar with the system. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. What is it about the UN, they never seem to get anything right! Just when countries are commencing towards a green future growing biofuels the UN wants to try to spoil the party. A new report from a senior UN official states that biofuels could complicate the UN goals of ending hunger in developing countries. The UN fears that if biofuels reach their expected growth level and account for 6 percent of the world energy use by 2050, water supplies could be strained harming human health . I would think that the implications of green energy, cleaner air and water in say China and India would be a tangible health benefit in countries choking on smog. If South America can produce their own green fuel they could then create more jobs and more income for farmers. IN typical UN fashion, the UN desperately wants to rain on the biofuel parade by trumping up unwarranted fear. The Director General of the U.N. Food and Ag Organization called biofuels an emerging issue with no clear figures. He's right! I guess the dollar signs aren't as obvious as they were in the oil for food scandal. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.