Officials with the American Soybean Association (ASA) recently called upon U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to increase the volumes for biomass-based diesel by 400 million gallons over the EPA’s proposal to a total of 2.5 billion gallons in 2019.
“The EPA and the administration are missing an easy opportunity to help the agriculture and rural economy,” ASA President Ron Moore said in public comments to Pruitt. “…An increase of biomass-based diesel volume requirements to 2.5 billion gallons in 2019 and the advanced biofuels volumes to 4.75 billion gallons in 2018 is achievable and warranted.”
Moore continued, stating that biodiesel production created a value-added market for the coproduct of soybean oil generated by the growing demand for protein meal. Without growing markets for the oil, Moore said, U.S. farmers will not be able to maximize the opportunities being created by protein demand.
“Since 1980 U.S. soybean farmers have increased production by 96 percent while using 8 percent less energy, land use per ton of soybean production has decreased by 35 percent, and greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 41 percent per ton,” Moore said.
In 2016, U.S. soybean farmers harvested a record 4.3 billion bushels while 2017’s plantings are estimated at a record 89.5 million acres. According to ASA modeling, additional soybean supplies will support the increased biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels volume levels while feedstock prices will be less than their five-year average.
Pruitt has yet to formally respond to the ASA’s comments.