NMPF Endorses Biogas and Nutrient Recovery Tax Incentive Legislation
July 6, 2016
New legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in mid-June that would create tax incentive investments in biogas and nutrient recovery. NMPF worked with the bill’s sponsors to enhance the value of the legislation, titled the Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act, to dairy farmers.
The new measure, introduced by Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Tom Reed (R-NY), will help dairy farmers increase their investment in technologies, such as manure digesters, that help recover and recycle nutrients from animal waste.
“This measure recognizes the value that biogas systems can have as dairy producers continue improving the sustainability of their farms, large and small, across the country,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “It will benefit society by decreasing nutrient runoff in waterways, decreasing farm odors, and improving water quality.
Mulhern said the creation of this new investment tax credit “also addresses the value of nutrient recovery technologies, which can transform manure into fertilizer for crops and bedding for cows.”
The Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act is also sponsored by the bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus. NMPF sent a letter thanking the sponsors for their efforts to move this legislation through Congress. A similar bill is expected to be introduced this year in the Senate.
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