News from neighbors
Ukraine war delaying biodiesel opportunity
STERLING JOURNAL-ADVOCATE, March 24 — The war in Ukraine could be hampering an opportunity for Colorado farmers to become part of the biodiesel movement.
Dr. Brent Young, agricultural economist at Colorado State University’s Regional Engagement Center in Sterling, told the Journal-Advocate that northeast Colorado is ideal for growing soybeans; in fact, some soybeans already are grown in the seven counties of northeast Colorado. And soybeans produce an oil that is easily converted into diesel fuel.
Soybeans for biodiesel were a cause for excitement until about a month ago, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
There are lots of moving parts in the world’s food supply, and Ukraine — a major breadbasket for much of the world — is too busy defending itself from its neighbor to produce wheat for export. “Ukrainian farmers are being told to plant food crops, that humans can eat,” Young said.
With the world wheat supply constricted, Young said, prices to growers will remain high at least through 2023 and possibly through 2025. While that’s good news for local wheat and corn growers, it also means growers will be reluctant to transition from those commodities to soybeans. That hampers the conversion from corn to soybeans needed to take advantage of the potential biodiesel market.
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Ag producers meet with ag leaders
YUMA PIONEER, March 24 — Open communication between Colorado Department of Agriculture and producers was the theme of a town hall meeting Tuesday afternoon at the Eckley Community Center.
About 40 people, mostly local ranchers and farmers, attended the meeting that featured Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg and Dr. Rebecca Niemiec, the newly-appointed Bureau of Animal Protection program manager. Greenberg was a controversial appointment when Gov. Jared Polis tapped her to replace Yuma County’s Don Brown.
Judging by several comments made Tuesday, Greenberg has slowly gained the trust of many in Colorado’s agricultural industry through open communication, availability and transparency. However, the recent hiring of Niemiec to the Bureau of Animal Protection again caught the attention of the ag industry, particularly in regard to her having connections to animal rights groups, and the process used by state leaders in hiring her.
Greenberg gave a brief history of the BAP, which was established in its current form by the Colorado Legislature in 1990, and its mission is to prevent the neglect, mistreatment or abuse of animals in Colorado. On average, fewer than 6% of BAP cases have dealt with livestock and of that approximately 2% with cattle.
“This program is not about regulating the ag industry,” Greenberg said. She and Niemiec focused their message on soothing concerns that the BAP would now start focusing on accepted animal husbandry practices within the livestock industry.
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