A new program and pump promotion will help raise awareness for higher blends of ethanol in Kansas. The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), ICM and the Kansas Corn Commission are holding the event, which will include discount prices on ethanol blends for flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) at TJ’s Convenience Store in Colwich from 6:30 to 8:30 am on Monday. FFV …
USDA Increases Corn Crop and Ethanol Use
Ideal summer growing conditions have helped the U.S. corn crop bounce back from flood damage, according to the latest report from USDA. The August crop production forecast is now 12.3 billion bushels, nearly five percent higher than predicted last month. It is still down 6 percent from last year’s record, but up 17 percent from 2006. The big story in …
McCain Opposes Ethanol Subsidies in Iowa
Republican presidential candidate John McCain visited the Iowa State Fair Friday, shook a lot of hands, but probably didn’t make a lot of friends in corn country when he clearly stated his opposition to subsidizing ethanol production. “My friends, we will disagree on a specific issue and that’s healthy,” McCain said during a Des Moines Register forum address at the …
Basis of EPA Decision on Ethanol Waiver
The bottom line for the Environmental Protection Agency when it came to making a decision on the request for a partial waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard was the impact within the next year. According to EPA, “implementation of the RFS would have no significant impact in the relevant time frame (the 2008/2009 corn season), and the most likely result …
USDA: Food and Fuel Crops Not Hurting As Much As Feared
Last month’s floods in the Midwest might not have put the corn and soybean crops, which are vital to ethanol and biodiesel production, in as much peril as originally feared. In a news conference in Washington, DC today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief said that the Midwest corn and soybean crops have not been hurt as badly as first …
Farm Foundation Report Finds Three Reasons for High Food Prices
There seems to be no end to the rhetoric bouncing around between agricultural experts, critics and media about what’s driving food costs. Biofuels are still one of the most common scapegoats for why we’re paying more for our food than ever before. But the Farm Foundation wants to get to the root of it all. That’s why it sought out …
Good News for Ethanol in OECD Report
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report on biofuels policies out this week claims that that biofuel production “has a limited impact on reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy security, and has a significant impact on world crop prices.” However, an analysis of the findings indicates the opposite. According to a review of the report by the Renewable …
Repeal of Missouri Ethanol Standard Would be Costly
Missouri corn growers say repealing the state ethanol standard would be a costly mistake. The CEO of the Missouri Corn Growers Association says that while recent political proposals claim repealing the statewide ethanol standard would lower fuel and food prices, the effect would be quite the opposite. “Simple economics dictate that increasing supply helps reduce price,” said Gary Marshall. “Utilizing …