Year-Round E15 a Win-Win for Farmers and Consumers
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The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced this morning that they will now allow for year-round sales of 15 percent ethanol blends or E15 without additional RVP control rather than just eight months of the year.
In 2015, the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) received a USDA Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership grant to install pumps offering E15 and E85 in Maryland and Virginia. Thanks to these additional pumps, ethanol sales increased 12-fold in the two states. With over 6 million people residing in the DC-metro area, these additional pumps have increased corn demand by nearly 2 million bushels. MGPUB hopes to see these numbers grow with the announcement of year-round E15.
The final rule from the EPA eliminates the outdated barrier that required retailers in many areas of the country to stop selling E15 during the summer months by allowing E15 to receive the same summer volatility adjustment EPA permits for E10.
Higher blends of renewable fuels such as E15 reduce fuel prices for drivers by three to ten cents per gallon and result in lower emissions, improving air quality and providing greater greenhouse gas reductions.
Blending additional ethanol replaces some of the most harmful components in gasoline, and cleaner ethanol results in 43 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline.
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USDA Announces Support for Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation and Trade Disruption
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced last week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take several actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation and trade disruption. President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a relief strategy to support American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally. Specifically, the President has authorized USDA to provide up to $16 billion in programs, which is in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions. These programs will assist agricultural producers while President Trump works to address long-standing market access barriers.
“China hasn’t played by the rules for a long time and President Trump is standing up to them, sending the clear message that the United States will no longer tolerate their unfair trade practices, which include non-tariff trade barriers and the theft of intellectual property. President Trump has great affection for America’s farmers and ranchers, and he knows they are bearing the brunt of these trade disputes. In fact, I’ve never known of a president that has been more concerned or interested in farmer wellbeing and long-term profitability than President Trump,” said Secretary Perdue. “The plan we are announcing today ensures farmers do not bear the brunt of unfair retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners. Our team at USDA reflected on what worked well and gathered feedback on last year’s program to make this one even stronger and more effective for farmers. Our farmers work hard, are the most productive in the world, and we aim to match their enthusiasm and patriotism as we support them.”
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Southern Maryland Grain Growers Workshop
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The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, is excited to host the first ever Southern Maryland Grain Growers Workshop, co-hosted by Chip Bowling (former National Corn Growers Association President, and current Chairman of the U.S Farmers & Ranchers Alliance) at Bunker Hill Farm.
The workshop will highlight new local market opportunities for grain farmers, and open the floor for discussion about current issues facing the industry.
All farmers and agri-businesses that would like to attend are welcome. A country dinner with dessert will be served, and the cost is $15 per person. Please RSVP by July 1st so we have an accurate headcount for dinner.
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Department’s Annual Pesticide Container Recycling Program Begins June 1
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The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s pesticide container recycling program will open its 27th year of operation in June for farmers, pesticide applicators, and others who wish to dispose of pesticide containers properly. A total of 28 collection days are scheduled from June through September at seven locations throughout the state. Those participating are asked to properly rinse their empty pesticide containers before handing them in.
The purpose of this program is to help prevent pesticide residues from entering the soil and local waterways while saving valuable landfill space. Once the containers are recycled, the program then provides a source of recycled material for vendors. Since the program’s inception, the department has recycled more than 1 million plastic pesticide containers, which have yielded nearly 1 million tons of recyclable plastic flakes.
The pesticide container recycling program is
FREE
and open to all agricultural producers and pesticide applicators. The Agricultural Container Recycling Council provides a chipper to grind the plastic containers into flakes, which are then transported to a contractor for recycling.
For additional information or to schedule a chipping date at your site, contact the department’s Pesticide Regulation Section at 410-841-5710.
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Maryland’s Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program Now Open
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The Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) has announced that the Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program (“Next Gen Program”) is now open to help qualified young or beginning farmers who seek to purchase farmland but need some specialized financial assistance to enter (or continue in) the agricultural profession in exchange for helping to preserve the farmland.
The Next Gen Program is a relatively fast-moving farmland conservation easement option purchase program that is designed to help facilitate the transfer of farmland to a new generation of farmers, while also effectively helping to preserve the subject agricultural land from future development. The selection for participation in this program is expected to be competitive.
Through the Next Gen Program, MARBIDCO pays up to 51% of the Fair Market Value (FMV) of the land only (with a cap of $500,000). The Next Gen Program funds are provided as a down-payment at the real estate settlement and MARBIRDO takes a contractual option on the farmland preservation easement purchase. This is designed to help enable a commercial lender to also make a loan to help with the purchase of the farm.
The Next Gen Farmer will then have a period of several years to sell the permanent easement to a rural land preservation program that is able to hold the permanent conservation easement (thus extinguishing the development rights on the property forever). Once a permanent easement sale has been facilitated, the Next Gen Farmer will repay MARBIDCO the original Next Gen Program option amount, plus a 3% administrative fee, using the money from the permanent easement sale. If the Next Gen Farmer cannot sell the permanent easement within the specified timeframe, the Next Gen option will be exercised (for no additional money) and a permanent easement on the property will be held by a “third-party default easement holder” (either a county agricultural land program or a private land trust designated by MARBIDCO).
Persons interested in applying to the Next Gen Program are requested
to make contact with their respective county agricultural land preservation staff
(in the county in which the farmland is located)
by no later than Friday, June 28, 2019,
to discuss the suitability of a subject farm being permanently preserved.
The formal Next Gen Program application submission deadline (including all required application forms and related attachments)
is Wednesday, July 31, 2019; by no later than 4:00 p.m.,
at the MARBIDCO offices in Annapolis. Further information about the Next Gen Program may be obtained by contacting Allison Roe, Financial Programs Specialist, at (410) 267-6807, or by visiting
MARBIDCO’s website
.
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Paraquat Certified Applicator Training Now Available
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A new certified applicator training module for paraquat dichloride (also known as paraquat) is now available. The training was developed by paraquat manufacturers as part of EPA’s 2016 risk mitigation requirements and approved by EPA. Paraquat is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. for the control of weeds in many agricultural and non-agricultural settings and is also used as a defoliant on crops such as cotton prior to harvest. Paraquat is a restricted use pesticide for use only by a certified applicator. The restriction applies to mixing, loading, and applying paraquat, as well as other pesticide handling activities.
Since 2000, 17 deaths have been caused by accidental ingestion of paraquat. Many of these deaths resulted from people illegally transferring the pesticide to beverage containers and the victim later mistaking it for a drink.
A single sip can be fatal.
In addition to the deaths by accidental ingestion, since 2000, three more deaths and many severe injuries have been caused by the pesticide getting onto the skin or into the eyes of those working with it. To help prevent these tragedies,
certified applicators must now take paraquat-specific training before use,
to emphasize that the chemical must not be transferred to or stored in improper containers. The training also covers paraquat toxicity, new label requirements and restrictions, consequences of misuse, and other important information.
The requirement for training is only one of several actions EPA has taken to prevent poisonings, including making label changes, restricting the use of all paraquat products to certified applicators only, and requiring closed-system packaging for all non-bulk (less than 120 gallon) end use product containers of paraquat.
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Enter National Corn Yield Contest Early and Save
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As the spring moves along, the National Corn Growers Association reminds farmers to register early for NCGA’s National Corn Yield Contest and save big on entry fees. Until June 30, fees will be reduced to $75. NCGA reminds growers that a small-time investment now saves money later this summer.
Entry will remain open at the full rate of $110 through July 31. All harvest forms will be due by November 15. Contest winners will be announced on December 16.
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Tell Congress to Pass the USMCA
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The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) preserves and builds upon the grain industry’s successful relationship with Mexico and Canada. Passage would instill confidence in other important trading partners that the U.S. is open for business.
Without this trade agreement, farmers could lose this market to foreign competitors and the economic impact would be disastrous at a time when corn prices and farm incomes are already low.
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