Biofuels and their impact on animal agriculture was the main topic at opening general session of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture annual meeting this week in Sacramento, California.
The keynote speaker was Bill Jones, chairman of Pacific Ethanol, whose topic was “Corn, Cattle and Carbon Credits – a California Perspective.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to speak at this conference because California does have a unique perspective on this issue dealing with biofuels and the relationship to animal agriculture,” Jones said in an interview. He cites two main reasons for that unique perspective: a localized dairy industry which allows them to feed distillers’ grains in the wet form instead of dried; and the state’s carbon credit program which allows biofuels producers to take an active role in reducing greenhouse gases.
Jones notes that higher prices for corn affect the ethanol producer just as much as the livestock producer, and he is just as anxious as any user of corn to see prices decline. “Being a farmer myself, being a person that raises cattle myself and feeds corn, I also appreciate the need to have this evolution take place very quickly,” he said. “Is it going to go back to $2 a bushel, I don’t think so.”
However, he adds that corn growers do have a hard time sustaining production at $2 a bushel, so he believes there is a middle ground that can be reached that can maintain profitability for both the crop and livestock sectors.
Listen to the entire interview with Bill Jones. 
Bill Jones (10:00 min MP3)
The Tri–City Energy facility that cost $5 million to begin operations is small compared to its peers that make from 30 million to 60 million gallons a year.
The plant is quite a boost to Keokuk as Tri-City Energy put its biodiesel plant in an old General Mills wheat processing plant that had been used just for storage for 30 years.
A newly-completed study in Ontario shows that biodiesel could be an effective alternative fuel for farm operations in Canada. According to 
“Our Government is committed to encouraging the development and use of renewable fuels,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. “Initiatives such as these play an important role in helping us achieve the government’s objective of five percent renewable content in transportation fuels by 2010. This is another example of how we can create new economic opportunities for farmers and the agricultural sector while also taking care of our environment.”
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Ethanol and trade were the two main topics discussed by the presidents of Brazil and the United States meeting over the weekend at Camp David.
Ethanol will be on the table when Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meets with President Bush in Washington this weekend.