South and North Dakota and Montana Farmers Union leaders were in Washington D.C. recently and met with members of Congress and Agricultural Agencies on three main topics. South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Somkbe says their first meeting was with the Surface Transportation Board where they talked about high shipping costs faced by agriculture due to consolidation in the rail industry.
He says they also met with Risk Management Agency and NRCS officials about an alternative to the crop insurance program they’d like to see included called I’m set.
Somkbe says they also met with South Dakota’s Congressional Delegation to talk about their concerns with the lifting of the Reid Vapor Pressure rule.
Sombke says they want to see higher blends of ethanol allowed year round not just E15.
