Iowa farmers again have won over most of the leading Republican candidates for president when it comes to biofuels, but farmers also likely will again be caught in the crossfire between saber-rattling with China while the 2024 presidential race plays out.
Iowa Republicans will go to the caucuses on Jan. 15 with the possibility that the Republican nomination could be decided as early as "Super Tuesday" on March 5.
Polls indicate former President Donald Trump has all but locked down the state with more than a 30-point lead over his closest rivals. The race is really for second place in Iowa, largely between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. She also is the former governor of South Carolina.
The race appears closer in New Hampshire which has its primary Jan. 23. In New Hampshire, Trump has as much as a 19-point lead, but at least one recent poll also put Haley significantly closer.
Haley also has a great deal riding on the Feb. 24 primary in her home state of South Carolina where polls still show Trump with a wide lead. Most major political figures in the state, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, back Trump.
The early states also will show whether DeSantis, 45, is still the potential successor to Trump on the right. DeSantis is backed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a situation that has irked Trump. The former president's campaign in mid-December launched ads showing brief clips of Reynolds praising Trump. Reynolds and Trump have since traded barbs over whether she's an unpopular governor or not.
A few issues specific to agriculture include biofuels, policies on China and trade, as well as border security and agricultural guest workers.
CHECKING THE BIOFUELS BOXES
As part of Trump's push to show support for farmers, he came to Iowa in May 2019 and signed an executive order allowing year-round E15. EPA defines E15 as gasoline blended with 10.5% to 15% ethanol. The order was tossed out in court -- and states are still fighting to get E15 year-round. https://www.dtnpf.com/…
While in Congress, DeSantis cosponsored a bill in 2017 that would have ended the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) program.
Still, the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and another Iowa group, Biofuels Vision, sent out press releases in recent weeks stating, "Gov. Ron DeSantis is the only candidate to date that has taken a positive position on all eight topics vital to the future of Iowa farmers and biofuels producers." DeSantis had done a question-and-answer session at a POET-owned plant in Menlo, Iowa, the day before the Dec. 19 release.
"Iowa's corn farmers appreciate Gov. Ron DeSantis' recognition of ethanol and its value to Iowa as a sustainable, homegrown fuel option," said Jolene Riessen, a farmer from Ida Grove and president of ICGA. "In Iowa, we think about the four E's of ethanol: economy, environment, energy security and engine performance -- and with a presidential candidate's support of policies like the Next Generation Fuels Act, many will recognize Iowa as a market leader of sustainable fuel."
When asked by DTN if the news release constituted an endorsement of DeSantis, a spokeswoman for ICGA stated another press release was coming soon showing that Haley had also checked all of the boxes.
Haley, in her Treynor town hall, threw a brief nod to biofuels as she highlighted her strategy to become "energy dominant." Haley said, "That includes biofuels. That means getting the EPA out of the way. They care more now about sage brush lizards than whether we can afford our power bill."
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Categories: Iowa, Crops, Rural Lifestyle