- Dubai Debt Delays Revive Fear of Financial Crisis
- Rush Starts as Holiday Shopping Season Revs Up
- US Markets Bracing for Selloff on Dubai Debt Worries
- US Dollar Falls to 14-Year Low Against the Yen
- ING Prices Share Issue at Hefty Discount
- UK's Darling to Downgrade 2009 Growth Forecast
- Tommy Hilfiger's Estate in Conn. Sells for $20 Million
- Cheap Robotic Hamsters Are Holiday's Unlikely Craze
- Almunia Set to Take Neelie Kroes' EU Competition Job
- 4 Thanksgiving Week Buys For Your Portfolio: Market Pros
- There's a 'Great Chance' For a Double-Dip Recession: Strategist
- Revenge of the Gangsta Nerds
- Will TCU See The "Flutie Effect?"
- Retail Earnings and Sales to Improve in Q4: Analyst
- Consumers Catching the Holiday Spirit
- It's Beginning To Look A Lot More Riskless
- Crescenzi: Claims Level Suggests End to Job Losses
- Hedge Funds Take Early Lead in Warren Buffett's 'Big Bet'
MOST SHARED
- No Thanksgiving Rest for Retailers in Sales Race
- US Markets Bracing for Selloff On Worries About Dubai's Debt
- UK's Darling to Downgrade 2009 Growth Forecast
- Attraction of Switzerland to Businesses
- More Asia Executives Resigned to Economy Flights: Survey
- Acer Launches Android Phone, Says Targets on Track
- Oil Falls Toward $74 Amid Dubai Debt Jitters
Text Size 
Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked the government to cut "skyrocketing" food prices by waiving half of the renewable fuel standard for ethanol made from grain.
 |
The Republican governor from the oil-producing state said in a statement that such a waiver was "the best, quickest way" to ease rising food costs before lasting damage was done.
"We're diversifying our state's energy portfolio at a rapid rate, but this misguided mandate is significantly affecting Texans' family food bill," he added.
Perry said that over the last three years, the price of corn has shot up 138 percent around the world, while global food prices rose 83 percent.
The renewable fuel standard could push corn prices to an estimated $8.00/bushel for the 2008 crop, which would double last year's price tag, Perry said. That could cost the Texas economy $3.59 billion, Perry calculated.
His spokeswoman could not say immediately whose projections he was quoting.
The governor, whose state is the biggest US gasoline producer, said he appreciated the good intentions behind the federal program that aims to boost renewable fuels.
But he added: "The artificial demand for grain-derived ethanol is devastating the livestock industry in Texas and needlessly creating a negative impact on our state's otherwise strong economy while driving up food prices around the world."
Texas is the biggest US beef producer and its farms rank among the top 10 states in poultry, egg and dairy production--and these animals eat corn-based feed, Perry said.
A Perry spokeswoman could not immediately say whether Texas was the first state to seek such a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency. "We'd be delighted to have support from other states," another spokeswoman said.
Officials around the world have decried soaring food costs and the increasing use of grains to make biofuels. Food riots have hit several African countries, Indonesia and Haiti.
In the United States this week, Costco Wholesale [COST
Loading...
()
] reported increased demand for rice and flower and Wal-Mart Stores' [WMT
Loading...
()
] Sam's Club warehouse division said it was limiting sales of several types of rice.
Print
Email
- What you need to know.
- Social enterprises are becoming a new asset class for the ethically-minded.
- Ever wished your cab driver would stop nattering and just get to where you're going? Well that moment is near(er).
- Bill Griffeth is taking a leave of absence from CNBC and Power Lunch for a year. Here's a message from Bill.
- More shoppers than ever plan to comparison-shop this season. Who will benefit?
- It may be the most unusual guide to business you'll read.
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes