The National Farmer Union is urging the White House and congressional leadership to dedicate resources toward expanding use of ethanol, biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as part of any effort to provide assistance to struggling U.S. agricultural producers.&nbsp;The NFU on Oct. 14 sent letters to President Donald Trump and federal lawmakers urging Congress “to provide immediate economic assistance to support struggling family farmers and ranchers and to make important policy corrections that will help American agriculture in the long-term.”“Family farmers and ranchers face severe economic challenges and a deepening crisis if they do not receive immediate assistance,” the NFU wrote in the letters. “Recently enacted trade policies and the resulting actions by other countries have wreaked havoc on our markets, driving commodity prices far below the cost of production and significantly impacting once-reliable agricultural export sales. Meanwhile, input costs are projected to reach record levels in 2025. Stress levels are high among farmers, reflected in the rising number of farm bankruptcy filings across the country. The number of farms in the U.S. has been declining for decades, with the loss of more than 140,000 farms, or 7%, from 2017 to 2022. Every farm lost also dramatically impacts the surrounding community and rural economy. Without swift intervention, this trend will only accelerate in the coming years.”To survive the current cycle of negative profitability, the NFU said aid payments must be directed to family agriculture operations and balanced among regions and crops. The payments must also be subject to meaningful payment limits, and foreign-owned corporations and large, concentrated agribusinesses must be barred from accessing economic assistance, according to the NFU.&nbsp;NFU is also urging aid to be paired with efforts to investigate monopolies in the agriculture industry and their resulting impact on the farm economy.In addition, the NFU is stressing that Congress must dedicate resources to developing new, high-value domestic markets for American crops and enhancing existing markets. “Economic assistance must be paired with authorization for nationwide, year-round E15 usage, building toward the use of higher blends of ethanol like E30, as well as increased opportunities for biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel production,” the NFU wrote in the letter.&nbsp;Full copies of the letters are available on the NFU <a href="https://nfu.org/news/nfu-urges-white-house-and-congress-to-quickly-deliver-relief-for-family-farmers-and-ranchers/">website</a>.

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The National Farmer Union is urging the White House and congressional leadership to dedicate resources toward expanding use of ethanol, biodiesel and SAF as part of any effort to provide assistance to struggling U.S. agricultural producers. 

NFU: Expanded biofuel use can help alleviate the deepening ag crisis

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