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AMI Calls on USDA to Appoint Biofuels Working Group

The American Meat Institute (AMI) and several national producer organizations called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assemble a panel within the Office of the Chief Economist to study the emerging biofuels economy and its implications for livestock producers and animal agriculture.

In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, the groups called attention to the impacts that the development of biofuels is having on the U.S. livestock industry's competitiveness.

The letter stated that "public focus on agricultural issues continues to expand as new and exciting technologies place the agricultural sector in the driver's seat of America's energy future. However, with these changes and developments have come significant concerns for the tens of thousands of farmers, farm families and all those involved in the $128 billion livestock, meat, dairy, and poultry sectors."

Significant growth in biofuels production and historically low corn and feed inventories have contributed to concerns about regional and national availability of feed inputs for animal agriculture. The groups are seeking to tap USDA's expertise and resources to provide livestock producers, farmers, packers and processors, and impacted parties with insight, data, analysis, and perspective.

The letter can be viewed at: http://www.meatami.com/storylinks/2007/biofuelsletter011807.pdf