(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – Missouri’s soybean farmers and biodiesel producers were well-represented in Kansas City today as the EPA heard repeatedly that increases in the Renewable Fuels Standard are a positive step, but it’s time to raise the bar more significantly.
“Missouri soybean farmers began investing in biodiesel 25 years ago and our state continues to lead in production and in quality,” said Missouri Soybean Association director and soybean farmer Neal Bredehoeft of Alma, Mo. “The EPA has a great opportunity to support clean, renewable, advanced biofuels and to strengthen both agriculture and our economy by continuing to increase volumes in the RFS.”
Missouri soybean farmers were represented in testimony from Joe Jobe of the National Biodiesel Board.
“It is imperative the EPA get this right,” Jobe said. “Higher biodiesel volumes are the key to improving the overall program success. It makes sense for jobs, for greenhouse gas reductions and for energy security to increase proposed volumes to at least 2 billion gallons in 2016 and 2.3 billion in 2017.”
Missouri Director of Agriculture Richard Fordyce, as well as the American Soybean Association, represented by soybean farmer Bob Henry also spoke to the importance of increasing biodiesel volumes and the ability of soybean farmers and biodiesel plants to continue growing production.
Missouri’s biodiesel industry, while less than ten years old, has grown to nearly 200 million gallons per year and provides jobs for thousands of Missourians. The state is currently home to nine biodiesel plants, and is ranked second nationally for biodiesel production, behind only Iowa. Biodiesel is available at stations across the state for use in all diesel vehicles.
The Missouri Soybean Association is a statewide membership organization designed to increase the profitability of Missouri soybean farmers through advocacy and education efforts across the state. To learn more, visit Missouri Soybeans online at mosoy.org.
