The United Soybean Board (USB) has recommitted itself to the support of biodiesel through the soybean checkoff program.
USB chairman Marc Curtis, a producer from Mississippi, and National Biodiesel Board chairman Gary Haer held a joint press conference at AG CONNECT Expo this past weekend to discuss the importance of biodiesel to the soybean industry. “We have research that shows over the last 4-5 years, biodiesel has contributed about 25 cents a bushel to the farm gate price of soybeans,” Curtis said. “So when you multiply 25 cents times several billion bushels, that makes a pretty good return on investment from the $30-40 million that have been invested from farmers’ checkoff money in the biodiesel industry.”
Listen to an interview with Marc Curtis here: Marc Curtis
USB is investing in an outreach effort by the biodiesel industry to spread the word that biodiesel is the only commercially available advanced biofuel. “It’s here today, it’s available now,” said Haer. “We have 1.4 billion gallons of production capability and we just need to get it going.”
Haer is vice president of sales and marketing for REG (Renewable Energy Group), the nation’s largest biodiesel producer, and he is very optimistic about the future now that the biodiesel tax credit has been extended retroactively and through 2011. He is also looking forward to a more upbeat National Biodiesel Conference in Phoenix next month.
Listen to an interview with Gary Haer here: Gary Haer