Trade was probably the top topic at NAFB Trade Talk last week and the U.S. Grains Council was more than ready to talk about it. Darren Armstrong, a North Carolina farmer who is currently serving as chairman of the council, discussed the need for Congress to ratify USMCA, the new agreement with Japan, potential for ethanol in China, and some …
Rough Times for Biodiesel Industry
It’s been a tough year for the biodiesel industry with ten biodiesel plants that have closed or cut back production, impacting jobs across the country, and ultimately the agricultural producers. “It’s just one more hit to soybean farmers too, right now,” said National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Director of Communications Kaleb Little during an interview at the National Association of Farm …
Project LIBERTY “Pauses” Cellulosic Biofuel Production
POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels is hitting the pause button on production of cellulosic biofuels at Project LIBERTY and shifting instead to “R&D focused on improving operational efficiency,” according to the company which is a joint venture of Royal DSM and POET, LLC. POET-DSM is blaming the shift on “EPA challenges with the implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).” “Over the …
National Ethanol Conference to Feature Bill Kristol
Political analyst and commentator Bill Kristol will provide his unique and entertaining brand of political insight and prognostication during a special luncheon at the 2020 National Ethanol Conference (NEC). Kristol, founder and director of Defending Democracy Together and a regular guest on popular television news programs, will offer a look ahead at the 2020 elections and the emerging political landscape. …
ACE Shares Ethanol News With Farm Broadcasters
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings did a lot of interviews with farm broadcasters around the country last week about the importance of ethanol supporters making comments on the EPA’s proposed supplemental rule to the RFS. “It’s critically important to farmers, to ethanol producers, to shareholders in ethanol plants, that for 2020, 15 billion gallons in the statute …
First D3MAX Plant Nears Completion
Construction of the first commercial-scale D3MAX plant at Ace Ethanol in Stanley, Wisconsin, is nearing completion, according to D3MAX company officials. “It has been a long haul since July of 2015 when we created D3MAX to commercialize the corn fiber-to-ethanol technology developed by BBI, to where we are today,” says Mark Yancey, vice president of BBI International and CTO of …
Ethanol Report from #NAFB19
The Renewable Fuels Association was pleased to be able to once again be a part of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) annual convention in Kansas City this past week. RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper and Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White were interviewed by dozens of farm broadcast reporters from around the country about the latest …
NCGA Participates in Ag-Auto-Ethanol Work Group
Representatives from state and national corn growers’ associations were among those in attendance at the recently Ag-Auto-Ethanol Work Group Annual Forum in Detroit, Michigan. The forum took a deep dive into environmental issues, future engine technologies and the potential cost-benefit of high-octane low-carbon fuels at the pump. “This forum is an opportunity to bring together a cross-section of groups which …
Report Shows Importance of Biodiesel Tax Credit
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) today released a new report on the “Importance of the Biodiesel Tax Credit” that highlights how uncertainty regarding extension of the biodiesel tax credit significantly increases business risks for biodiesel producers. The report was written by John Urbanchuk, managing partner of ABF Economics. “The current uncertainty surrounding reinstatement and retroactivity of the tax credit is …
WASDE Lowers Corn Outlook
The latest USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) 2019/20 U.S. corn outlook is for lower production, reduced use, and smaller ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 13.661 billion bushels, down 118 million from last month on a 1.4-bushel reduction in yield to 167.0 bushels per acre. Feed and residual use is down 25 million bushels based on …