Editors' Notebook

Little for Ag in SOTU

Cheri Zagurski
By  Cheri Zagurski , DTN Associate Editor
Connect with Cheri:
@cherizagurski

"Absence and death are the same -- only that in death there is no suffering." -- Theodore Roosevelt

I know what Teddy meant. Is there any bigger pain than that of being ignored? Any bigger snub than that of non-inclusion?

Tonight America's farmers in general were nearly nonexistent in President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech. I noted exactly two direct mentions in the hour-plus-long speech. 1) "... the strongest five-year stretch of farm exports in our history...;" and 2) When talking of those who benefit from the Affordable Health Care Act: "... to the farmer out on the tractor."

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That was it. No mention of agriculture's strong economy, no mention of farm workers when noting the need for immigration reform, no specific mention of ag when talking about the need for trade deals. No mention of ethanol when talking about new energy sources and the nation's energy independence.

Let me say that again: I did not hear the words "ethanol" or "biofuels" even uttered. Maybe I missed it. Maybe I drifted off for a moment or two. But I don't think so.

This wasn't my first rodeo... uh, I mean State of the Union address. Over my 27 years at DTN I have listened to several presidents' annual presentations. I have to say this year's might have been the least ag-relevant speech I remember. Some years enough was said about U.S. agriculture that a news story could be written. Tonight, all I'm left with is a blog item that wonders, "What does it mean when your industry no longer means enough to warrant a mention in the SOTU?"

Oh, it probably doesn't mean much. Farmers and ranchers will continue to do what they do as long as their finances and the weather and business climate allow them to.

Still, I wouldn’t blame ethanol supporters for being worried. As Kahlil Gibran wrote, "Desire is half of life; indifference is half of death." The president has said he is an ethanol supporter. Perhaps tonight was simply an oversight, and not an early indication of the death of executive branch support for the biofuel.

Cheri Zagurski can be reached at cheri.zagurski@dtn.com

(AG)

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Roger Cooper
1/30/2014 | 9:05 AM CST
Here are comments I sent to EPA! What is the deal with this administration? EPA VS. THE RFS (01-27-2014) The timing of the proposed EPA changes to the RFS could eventually devastate the entire ag community (especially the economies of small rural communities if not the entire U.S. economy and environment). When these changes eventually disrupt the inclusion of roughly 10% of all blended gasoline consumed daily in the U.S. any shortage of that product will be followed by higher prices at the pump for all consumers who purchase gasoline. What will that shortage be replaced with and at what cost to consumers? We probably only refine maybe 40% of our domestic needs currently! How will we make up for that loss. From whom will we depend on to supply that loss? What will gas or feed cost? Will the air we breath be cleaner? What will the the job loss impact on rural towns and economies look like? Will our national security be improved? What ever happened to the concept of us being able to create a renewable, domestic, clean burning, quality, high octane fuel that can be used in reciprocating engines? What is wrong with ag having excess earnings to spend on things they need like cars, houses, machinery, trucks, bins, sheds, and technology to name a few? Those excess earnings when spent provide worker wages and benefits, taxes to Uncle Sam, and lower taxpayer subsidies caused during times of over production and lower commodity prices. Messing with the RFS is the act of tampering with 36% of the 2013 U.S. record corn production! You cannot domestically feed enough corn to livestock or export enough corn to any foreign end user that collectively could consume the extra 4 to 5 billion bushels of corn that is currently being used to make ethanol. Remember â?“ ethanol is the clean burning, non-polluting, domestically renewable fuel that helps keep America strong, free, and safe! Why would the President or any politician want to hang his or her hat on a proposal that could cause such a drastic downturn in an economy that is the envy of the world (the U.S. Ag Industry)? The RFS and ethanol are good things for America in all kinds of ways! Please do not mess with the RFS!