Washington, DC
May 3, 2007
- Tester bill a ‘win-win-win
situation’ for Montana agriculture, world energy
- Legislation encourages more biodiesel production by providing
camelina crop insurance
Senator Jon Tester
today announced new legislation that will help Montana become a
world player in alternative energy development by providing crop
insurance for camelina and other biofuel crops.
Oil from crushed camelina seeds is converted into biodiesel
fuel. The leftover seeds can be used as livestock feed. Lack of
crop insurance is the only thing holding back many farmers
interested in planting camelina.
“If I had a bit more time, I'd be growing oilseeds on my farm
and investing in biofuels myself,” said Tester, one of only two
farmers in the U.S. Senate. “But this bill will open the door to
a whole lot of opportunities for my neighbors—and for farmers
all across Montana.”
Tester’s Biofuel Crop Insurance Pilot Program provides expedited
insurance for biofuel crops like camelina through the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Risk Management Agency. Normally, insuring new crops is a
process that takes years.
Tester detailed his bill this morning at his Washington office
along with National Farmers Union President Tom Buis and Sam
Huttenbauer, President of
Great Plains - The Camelina Company.
The Bigfork, Mont., integrated biofuels firm contracts with
Montana farmers to grow camelina which it then crushes for
biodiesel.
"High on the list, if not at the top, is the ability of our
camelina producers to obtain the same degree of insurance
coverage currently offered to other crops," Huttenbauer said.
"For that reason all of us owe Senator Tester a vote of
gratitude for the timely introduction of this bill."
“Renewable energy production is one of the most exciting
opportunities in our rural communities,” Buis said. “I commend
Senator Tester’s foresight in introducing this legislation.
Public policy can and should encourage innovation and
diversification of both our food and fuel supplies.”
Great Plains expects Montana farmers to grow around 50,000 acres
of camelina in 2007—nearly four times more than last year.
Camelina grows easily in Montana. It will not, however, compete
with the U.S. food supply because it can be easily rotated with
more traditional crops like wheat and barley.
Currently developers are building a biodiesel facility in
Chester, Mont. Other biodiesel facilities are proposed for
Havre, Roundup, Great Falls and Butte.
“Expanding biofuels in Montana is a win-win-win situation,”
Tester said. “It provides options and more job opportunities for
farmers. It's responsible and sustainable development of a
renewable resource. And it cuts back on our thirst for foreign
oil, which will ultimately make our country more secure.”
Senator Max Baucus, Montana’s senior U.S. senator, soon plans to
roll out a major legislative package boosting Montana camelina
production even further by providing deferred loan payments to
farmers who invest in camelina crops.
“Max has been a champion for Montana’s farmers and our
agriculture potential for a long time,” Tester said. “I look
forward to working with him in the future to making this state a
leader in the biofuels industry.”
Tester's Biofuel Crop Insurance Pilot Program is Senate Bill
1242.
Via AgPR |
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