Government biofuel policies affect fuel and farm commodity prices, but the price of a barrel of oil can have even larger effects. That is the conclusion of a report by the University of Missouri Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI). The study researched biofuel scenarios based on 500 random draws of possible weather, production and other market influences. The …
Ethanol Credited for Lowest National Gas Prices
Nationwide, the average cost of gas has hit a record $4 a gallon, which means some areas, like California, the average price has topped $4.50 a gallon. But in Missouri, the average price of $3.82 a gallon is the lowest in the nation – in part because of ethanol. The state implemented a ten percent ethanol mandate this year, which …
Ethanol is “Ugly Baby”
Ethanol is “an ugly baby but it’s ours and it will move cars,” according to billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens. Speaking at the Oil and Gas Investor’s Energy Capital Forum in Houston Tuesday, Boone emphasized that he prefers the less-than-perfect fuel over imported oil because there is “no question” that America must embrace alternate energy sources to alleviate the $700-billion …
Ag and Energy Chiefs Say Ethanol is Moderating Gas Prices
The U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy sent a letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) answering questions about biofuels production and food prices. In the joint letter, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer noted the complexity of the food and fuel pricing issues and cautioned the senator “against hasty judgments driven …
Corn Growers Confident Despite Lowered Forecast
Officials with the National Corn Growers Association say while they are concerned about the potential impact of weather on this year’s corn crop, growers are confident they can meet the demand. “Thanks to a very successful 2007, we started this year off with a significant level of beginning stocks that can help see us through a season of reduced production,” …
Cellulosic Focus at Ethanol Workshop
Moving to second generation ethanol production is obviously a priority for the nation’s ethanol producers. A significant number of the workshops scheduled for the 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop next week in Nashville focus on different aspects of cellulosic ethanol production development. Workshops titles include “Cellulose Technology Update,” “Alternative Feedstocks,” “Cellulose Technology Components,” “Enzyme Technology: Cellulose,” and “Cellulose Biorefining.” This is …
Midwest Governors Support Ethanol
The Midwestern Governors Association is calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to uphold the Renewable Fuels Standard passed by Congress in December. In a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, the group said that granting a waiver would be contrary to the agency’s mission of protecting human health and the environment. The letter adds that blame placed on ethanol …
Ethanol Talk at Pork Expo
Ethanol production as it relates to high feed costs was a major topic of discussion at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines last week, but pork producers understand that there are other factors impacting their input costs. “This is not specifically an ethanol problem,” said National Pork Producers Council president Bryan Black. “The world demand for grain, the total …
FAO Agrees to Biofuels Study
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization High Level Conference on Food Security focused on solutions to fight global hunger and increase agricultural development this week, rather than place restrictions on biofuels production. The final declaration adopted by 180 countries calls for further study on the issue, an approach which world biofuels producers called “thoughtful.” In a statement, leaders from …
US Ag Secretary Defends Ethanol
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer is defending the production of ethanol in Rome this week at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization High-Level Conference on World Food Security. During a press conference with international media at the opening of the conference, Schafer answered a number of questions related to biofuels and stressed the minimal impact of production on food prices. …