Despite adverse growing conditions that impacted most farmers around the country this year, National Corn Growers Association 2019 National Corn Yield Contest were able to attain some impressive yields, with a new overall record that will be hard to beat. David Hula of Charles City, Virginia produced the highest yield on record at 616.1953 bushels per acre, beating his previous …
Nebraska Ethanol Helps Fuel the Cure
In the past two years, Nebraska fuel retailers and drivers have raised more than $13,000 for cancer research as part of Fuel the Cure, which has gone to fund efforts at centers in the state. During October, when drivers chose higher blends of ethanol fuel like E15, E30 and E85 at participating retail locations, gas stations donated 3 cents for …
Ethanol Industry Mourns Loss of Randy Ives
The ethanol industry lost a pioneer and a great friend this week as Randy Ives, 63, of Omaha, Nebraska has passed away after a courageous battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Ives was a U.S. Grains Council (USGC) delegate and a key figure in the development of distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol market …
Corn Growers Seek Action on Ethanol and USMCA
Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and state corn organizations held a news conference Wednesday morning to urge the Trump Administration and members of Congress to finish the job on outstanding trade and ethanol issues important to corn farmers. The past year has presented a perfect storm of challenges for America’s corn farmers. While there have been positive …
Analyst Caps Ethanol Demand at 15 Billion Gallons
The most popular session at the annual ASTA CSS & Seed Expo is always the agricultural economy update by Dan Basse, AgResource Company, and this year was no exception as he opened the general session for the seventh year. Basse offered his insights on this year’s yields, impact of African Swine Fever in China, the ABU countries (Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine), …
Trade Groups Push Congress on Biodiesel Tax Extension
Executives from nearly a dozen national trade associations sent a letter to Congressional leaders last week highlighting the urgent need for Congress to extend the expired biodiesel tax incentive before the end of the year. The groups included the National Biodiesel Board, American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, Advanced Biofuels Association, among others. The association executives …
RFA Stresses Ethanol Benefits at COP25
The Renewable Fuels Association told world leaders meeting this week in Madrid that low-carbon ethanol is an economical and proven solution for fighting global climate change. RFA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Kelly Davis is attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP25) with a small delegation of U.S. farm and biofuel industry leaders to promote the environmental benefits of ethanol …
Iowa Governor Moves State Vehicles to B20
During an appearance at the Iowa Farm Bureau annual meeting in Des Moines Tuesday, Governor Kim Reynolds signed an executive order requiring that all new state vehicles with diesel engines must be approved to run on B20 biodiesel (a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum-based diesel) or more “Biodiesel is a growing and vital industry in Iowa, and I …
Researching Ways to Turn Biorefinery Waste into New Products
A research team at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is beginning work on new methods to turn biorefinery waste into valuable industrial products. A pilot scale testing facility for one of the processes set to be established at SD Mines. Pilot scale processing of corn stover will be performed at Idaho National Lab, SD Mines and Southwest …
NBB Asks EPA To Properly Account for SREs
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) comments on EPA’s supplemental proposal for 2020 renewable volume obligations urge the agency “to properly account for small refinery exemptions, address the remand of the 2016 standards, and increase the 2021 biomass-based diesel volume.” NBB is encouraging EPA to use a three-year average of the gallons EPA actually exempted. “Unfortunately, the proposal uses an average …