US senators optimistic about ethanol, ag futures

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US senators confident about ethanol's direction, but livestock producers find fault in hearing
August 18, 2008: 05:14 PM EST

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - A U.S. Senate committee hearing organized to address the ongoing food-versus-fuel debate over ethanol offered confidence to its organizers but left livestock producers troubled that their concerns weren't fully recognized.

Ethanol has drawn criticism in studies linking corn-based fuel to rising food prices. The argument has centered on ethanol making a run on corn and leaving shorter supplies for food and feed production, both of which drive up costs.

Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., took a largely defensive stand against those criticisms Monday during a special Senate Agriculture Committee hearing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, saying they are optimistic about where ethanol production and renewable fuels are headed.

"I'll admit, corn-based ethanol's not perfect, but it's been blamed for practically every problem under the sun," Nelson said. "What's next? Summer colds? Computer viruses? Bad hair days?"

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