The biodiesel and renewable diesel industry kicked off the 2021 Virtual National Biodiesel Conference and Expo Tuesday with an optimistic outlook for the future of America’s sustainable petroleum diesel replacement. The theme of this year’s conference is “Rise 2021” and in his annual state of the industry address, National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen pointed to several factors contributing to …
Mixed Bag of Last Minute EPA Proposals for Biofuels
With just days before a new administration takes office, the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued a mixed bag of last minute proposals for biofuels producers. First, in Friday’s Federal Register, EPA proposed to extend compliance deadlines for 2019 and 2020 renewable volume obligations, stating that the agency would “take no position on the availability of SREs for the 2019 …
Beltwide Cotton Conference Shares Weed Management Research
New weed science research from the University of Georgia (UGA) was on the agenda at the 2021 virtual Beltwide Cotton Conference. “We must reduce the selection pressure that’s being placed upon these herbicides in order to preserve our ability to use this technology,” said Taylor Randell, UGA Weed Science student, who presented the research in response to the evolution of …
USDA Offers Additional CFAP Aid for Some Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide additional assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), expanding eligibility for some agricultural producers and commodities as well as updating payments to accurately compensate some producers who already applied for the program. Among the announced updates: Contract producers of swine, broilers, laying hens, chicken eggs and turkeys who suffered a drop …
Biodiesel Conference Goes Virtual Next Week
The virtual 2021 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo officially launches next Tuesday, January 19th, with a full agenda on-line to allow participation from anywhere. The theme of this year’s conference is “Rise” and National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Chief Operating Officer Doug Whitehead says it reflects the resilience of the industry. “We’re rising up to meet the challenges of yesterday, today, …
BASF Presents Awards at Beltwide Cotton Conferences
At last week’s virtual Beltwide Cotton Conferences, BASF sponsored two prestigious professional awards: Cotton Specialist of the Year and Cotton Marketer of the Year. The Joseph J. O’Neill Cotton Marketer of the Year award was presented to Barry Evans of Texas. The award is sponsored by BASF and ICE Futures (formerly the New York Cotton Exchange). BASF’s Kenny Melton presented …
Partnership Aims to Standardize Cotton Research Data
Cotton Incorporated recently joined forces with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Partnerships for Data Innovations (PDI) on an effort to standardize and centralize cotton research data. At last week’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Cotton Incorporated Senior Director of Agricultural & Environmental Research Ed Barnes said the project actually grew out of discussions at last year’s Beltwide and it is really just …
EPA Announces Sustainable Pest Control Initiative
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler was in Mississippi on Monday where he announced a $2 million dollar initiative that encourages smart and sustainable pest control in agriculture. The initiative, which is an extension of EPA’s Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP), expects to award grantees up to $200,000 to implement sustainable pest management practices that align with the …
Cotton Council CEO Wraps up Beltwide
National Cotton Council President and CEO Dr. Gary Adams is pleased with the first ever virtual Beltwide Cotton Conferences this week. “Attendance was really quite strong,” said Adams in a wrap up interview. “Hopefully, we actually provided an opportunity for some people to participate where they might not have otherwise.” Adams gave an update on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol …
COVID and Cotton Supply Chains
The Beltwide Cotton Economic Economics and Marketing Conference included a presentation by Cotton Incorporated Senior Economist Jon Devine on how the COVID pandemic impacted cotton supply chains in 2020. Devine says the retail segment was hit the hardest, building on already declining sales in stores. “I think the transition was already underway in terms of pushing clothing purchases away from …