U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Steve Censky is on a trade mission to West Africa this week to help United States exporters unlock new opportunities in a region where strong economic growth is driving demand for imported food and farm products, including ethanol.

“Here in West Africa they are using another product as an octane enhancer rather than ethanol,” said Censky during a press briefing from Accra, Ghana on Wednesday. “It is a product that has some corrosive effects, not only on gas tanks and in engines, but also has some health and environmental issues similar to what our own MTBE had in the United States.” Censky says that offers a great opportunity for ethanol in that market for U.S. ethanol producers.

The United States already accounts for nearly 48 percent of Nigeria’s ethanol imports, making that country our 15th largest market for exports. As the auto fleet expands and demand for clean fuel increases, the market for U.S. ethanol is expected to grow.

Listen to Censky’s comments here:
USDA Deputy Censky ethanol comments from West Africa (:48)