Twice this past week the US Senate took up the ethanol subsidy. Finally getting a vote to end the program and attempt to save some $2.5 billion. Not that there is much that will happen but this is the first blow and Rural Iowa will suffer. Speaking of corn we keep hearing reports that the crop is excellent. Where? With the cold wet spring and flooding we might see corn "knee high" by the 4th...but it might be a push.
Meanwhile, and more pressing, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a report saying the "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico is likely to grow to the size of New Hampshire. Where are the fingers being pointed? Farm states like...Iowa. From the report:
"Hypoxia is caused by excessive nutrient pollution, often from human activities such as agriculture that results in too little oxygen to support most marine life in bottom and near bottom water."
This continues to plague agri-business and is another PR blow to the industry. In response, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and Iowa State University, last year, began a program to help producers and consumer mitigate runoff. How is it going?
We asked Chuck Gipp the Director of the Soil Conservation section of the department and he told us the task-force isn't ready to open their findings for public comment and may not until this fall. "This has been a major undertaking. The goal of the task-force is to study the scientific data and come up with a plan that will reduce Hypoxia by reducing run off by 45%. During this work we're finding all sorts of areas where we can have a major impact."
Asked if legislation might be a factor Gipp said not at this point. "Our goal is not to regulate but tofirst learn what the problems are, where they are coming from and deal with them in such a way as we don't cause more problems for producers or for our state."
We'll see...
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