Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: Senate Agriculture Committee holds hearings on renewable fuels

TSCRA Daily News Update, August 22, 2008

Senate Agriculture Committee holds hearings on renewable fuels

On Monday, Aug. 18, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing in Omaha, Neb., on "Food, Feed and Fuel Production: Today and Tomorrow." Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the committee, was in attendance, as well as Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

The majority of the hearing was dedicated to testimony in support of ethanol production, with slim representation from the poultry and livestock industries.

Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Nebraska Cattlemen Association, attended the hearing but was not asked to testify.

"Nebraska's largest industry, beef, has not been invited to speak, but we feel it is critical for the public to understand our position on this debate," Kelsey said prior to the hearing. "Certainly the rising cost of energy and increased demand are playing a role in higher food prices."

"However, feed alone makes up 70 percent of a cattleman's operating costs. When corn feed prices increase as they have, so does the cost of running our businesses. This means that our products must sell for more, which means higher beef prices for consumers," he explained.