Expanding renewable liquid fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, and increasing trade negotiations, are top priorities for CHS. CHS is one of the largest agricultural cooperatives in the country. Will Stafford is the director of federal affairs with CHS. He says these are items outside the Farm Bill that the cooperative is pushing in the new year.
Stafford says even though activity tends to slow down during an election year, CHS is staying busy.
“There will be some biofuels discussions that we’re constantly having discussions about like year-round E15,” he says. “And then, we’re going to be very involved in the global trade space. That’s something that even if Congress isn’t necessarily very active in, we’re going to be working closely with the administration, closely with governments around the world to make sure that there are plenty of markets abroad for U.S. agriculture products to end up in.”
Meanwhile, the 2023 Farm Bill’s deadline has been extended to September of 2024. Stafford says the extension gives the cooperative a buffer to make sure the legislation is done right.
