Since the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Renewable Fuel Standard almost three years ago – Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen says there have been dozens of new studies and modeling improvements. He says these new reports and data show that the corn ethanol process is far less carbon intensive that assumed by EPA. That’s why he is calling on Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to initiate a process to update the EPA’s obsolete lifecycle greenhouse gas analyses of corn and surgarcane ethanol for the RFS2. Dinneen says corn ethanol is offering real and significant GHG savings today. Dinneen says research shows the lifecycle GHG emissions associated with Brazilian sugarcane ethanol production are worse than originally estimated by EPA for the RFS2.

Recognizing the new science and data and initiating a process to update the RFS2 – according to Dinneen – will ensure the Agency maintains an active and relevant role in the scientific discussion around biofuel lifecycle GHG accounting; enhance the public’s understanding of corn ethanol’s lifecycle GHG impacts and serve to inform debate on future biofuels policies; allow for fairer comparisons of corn and sugarcane ethanol; and reduce the backlog of petitions for new pathways.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The final day of the 100th convention of the Kansas Livestock Association will include a report by an analyst on the drought’s effect on the nation’s cattle inventory and prices.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A new report shows that the nation’s worst drought in decades has worsened for a second straight week, after conditions had improved for more than a month.

WACO, Neb. (AP) — Monsanto is investing more than $100 million to expand four of its seed processing plants in Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana.

USDA data shows U.S. raw sugar prices dropped another nine-percent in October. The October 2012 average price is nearly 40-percent lower than the previous year. With sugar surpluses building and sustained low prices on the horizon – the American Sugar Alliance says industrial sugar users have lost a key talking point in their campaign to dismantle U.S. sugar production. ASA Chairman Ryan Weston says the big candy lobby has complained of high sugar prices on Capitol Hill for months despite their own increasing profits. He says lawmakers should be less receptive to their efforts now that they have big profits, cheap sugar and a rosy outlook for the future.

ASA notes raw sugar prices dipped as low as 21.5-cents per pound during October. Cheap sugar is predicted for the foreseeable future due to the 2.2-million tons of surplus overhanging the market, a strong domestic crop and the subsidized foreign sugar that flows in under a myriad of trade deals.

Weston says the price reality for sugar proves how well the current sugar policy has worked for consumers. He says the policy comes at no cost to the taxpayer, helps counter subsidies by foreign competitors and ensures consistent homegrown supplies at consistent prices. But Weston notes food makers aren’t passing along any of the lower sugar prices to consumers. Instead – he says they have continued price increases at the grocery checkout line. Weston says this lack of pass-through should further call into question the talking points used by opponents of sugar policy.

President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have received a request for a presidential declaration of emergency. The request came from the American Waterways Operators, National Waterways Conference, Waterways Council, Inc. and 15 other national organizations who are seeking immediate assistance in averting an economic catastrophe in the heartland of the United States. The problem is the worsening situation on the Mississippi River. Near historic low water levels have restricted barge traffic on the river since the summer. The letter notes that the crisis was created by this year’s drought conditions – but says it will come to a head now that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun to implement plans to reduce the release of water to the Mississippi River from dams on the upper Missouri River. The groups are not only asking the President to declare an emergency – but also to direct the Corps to remove rock pinnacles that are impairing the flow of commerce by mid-December and to release as much water as necessary from the Missouri River reservoirs to preserve a nine-foot channel on the Mississippi River to sustain commercial navigation.

In their letter to the President and the FEMA Administrator – the groups warn that the economic impacts of Mississippi River closure would be dire. Among other products – they note seven-million tons of agricultural products worth 2.3-billion dollars would be at risk.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association and The Fertilizer Institute all signed the letter. The governors of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri – as well as 15 U.S. Senators and 62 members of the U.S. House – have also written the Administration to call attention to the severity of the situation and urge action to keep the river open to navigation.

For the cattle industry – National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Collin Woodall says the denial of the Renewable Fuel Standard waiver by the EPA is an indicator of things to come. He expects cattle producers will soon see guidance on the Clean Water Act and the dust rule – along with other potentially burdensome regulations. Woodall also expects other important priorities for cattlemen and women will be more difficult to achieve – as the gridlock seen the past two years in the House and Senate will likely continue. According to Woodall – that means there won’t be an opportunity to address big ticket items like the estate tax or Endangered Species Act reform for the next several years. He believes those are completely off the table.

That won’t stop NCBA from making the estate tax a priority. The so-called Bush-era tax cuts expire at the end of the year. If the estate tax rates aren’t extended before that time – farmers and ranchers will be taxed on assets over one-million dollars. The top tax rate will revert back to 55-percent. Woodall says NCBA hopes for at least a four-year extension of the current five-million dollar per individual exemption and top tax rate of 35-percent. He says maintaining these levels for the next four years is needed to provide a little certainty – noting it’s hard to make plans on a two-year basis.

NCBA will also tackle a wide range of other issues. Woodall encourages cattlemen and women to engage with their elected officials on the issues that impact their operations at every opportunity to help make in-roads.

Officials have said this week that private talks between the President and top Congressional leaders to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff are accelerating. House Speaker John Boehner has plans for top Republicans to meet with Erskine Bowles – a chief of staff in the Bill Clinton Administration. According to GOP aides – Bowles offered a debt-reduction plan last fall that lined up with Republican principles. The plan called for an overhaul of the tax code and significant spending cuts – including major Medicare changes. Boehner says people in both parties agree a balanced approach is needed to deal with the deficit and debt – and to help the economy create jobs. The Speaker expresses a need to avert the fiscal cliff without tax hikes that target small businesses and cost jobs.

Some Republicans – including Senate Ag Committee member Saxby Chambliss – have recently voiced support for a deal that includes additional tax revenue. But there remains a wide gap between the President and Republicans on taxes and changes to federal retirement programs. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney did say this week that the President believes and understands that in order to achieve a deal – a compromise – everybody has to make some tough choices.