Poultry industry critical of O'Malley's stance on biofuel.
When it comes to Maryland agriculture, poultry is king.
But in Iowa — the nation's first presidential nominating state — corn is the top crop.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, is winning praise from corn farmers in Iowa for his support of a federal mandate to blend biofuels into gasoline. But the stance does not sit well with the poultry industry in his home state.
Because much of the biofuel used to meet the federal standard is corn-based ethanol, the requirement helps drive up the price of the crop — a boon for the farmers who grow it. But poultry producers, who fatten their birds with corn feed, want to keep the price low.
"Delmarva's chicken farmers and processors are certainly not anti-corn; we're not even anti-ethanol," said Tom Super, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council. "What we are against is a government mandate that artificially inflates the price of corn and picks winners and losers among those who depend on it."
Super did not criticize O'Malley directly, but the Washington-based council is part of a coalition called Smarter Fuel Future that has questioned his position. The group is made up of dozens of livestock trade associations as well as the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, which lobbies for the oil-refining industry. The coalition opposes the renewable fuel standard. . .
O'Malley made news this month by backing the renewable fuel standard during a trip to Iowa. He also criticized an Obama administration proposal to reduce the share of ethanol being blended into fuel.
"We should keep these standards always moving up," he said during a visit to an ethanol plant, according to The Des Moines Register. "When you do things like reversing or lowering standards, it sends tremors through the marketplace and sends word to investors that this is an unstable future." . .
A spokeswoman for the O'Malley campaign said he has long supported biofuels. As governor in 2008, he proposed expanded construction of ethanol pump stations to provide fuel for state vehicles. His administration also pressed for the state's vehicle fleet to run on a blend of biodiesel.
"Governor O'Malley has long championed biofuels because he believes that tackling climate change is a moral and economic imperative," spokeswoman Haley Morris said. "As governor, he made expanding renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions a top priority — and he got results."
Bruce Rohwer, a corn farmer in Paullina, Iowa, said he was impressed with O'Malley's knowledge and commitment to the standard after discussing the issue with him in March. Rohwer is involved with a pro-ethanol group called America's Renewable Future.
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