In the wake of new plant closures, corn and soybean farmer organization leaders held a press conference Thursday to discuss the current situation in the biofuels industry created by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) overuse of Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Participants in the call were: Kelly Nieuwenhuis, farmer from Primghar, Iowa and president of …
Japan Deal is Good for Grains and Ethanol
The U.S.-Japan trade agreement signed by President Donald Trump this week “will solidify our longstanding partnership for the future and create a platform for growth into new sales and new sectors, including the potential for sales of U.S. ethanol,” according to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Japan is one of the largest and most loyal U.S. corn customers, having bought …
Biofuels Industry Still Awaits Waiver Package
It’s been almost a month since President Donald Trump tweeted that “Farmers are going to be so happy when they see what we are doing for Ethanol” and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue told crowds at Farm Progress Show about “small refinery waiver mitigation efforts” underway that President Trump “really wants to announce himself.” Secretary Perdue expressed the frustration that many …
USDA Lowers Corn Use for Ethanol
The September World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates out Thursday from USDA reduced the outlook for U.S. corn production and for the amount of corn used to produce ethanol. This month’s 2019/20 U.S. corn outlook is for reduced production, lower corn used for ethanol, and slightly higher ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 13.799 billion bushels, down 102 million …
Corn Growers Support E15 in Court Motion
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) this week filed a motion in support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the final rule allowing for year-round sales of E15, opposing an effort by the oil industry to challenge the rule. If successful, the oil industry’s lawsuit would overturn the E15 rule. NCGA and its farmer members have been long-time advocates …
LCFS Regulators Get Midwest Corn and Ethanol Tour
The National Corn Growers Association and Renewable Fuels Association hosted Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulators from the California Air Resources Board and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality last week in Nebraska and Iowa to highlight corn and ethanol production advancements in decarbonization. Also taking part in the tour were representatives of leading environmental non-profit organizations. The group heard …
Biofuels Industry to EPA: Restore Lost Gallons
Ethanol and biodiesel producers, corn and soybean farmers, all had the same message to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding proposed renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) – restore the gallons of biofuel blending volumes lost under the numerous small refinery exemptions granted by the agency over the past two years. Industry organizations delivered comments to the EPA …
US and Japan Shake on Trade Deal
During the G-7 summit in France Sunday, President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shook hands on a deal “in principle” that involves agricultural products. “(We) have excess corn in various parts of our country, with our farmers, because China did not do what they said they were going to do,” said President Trump. “And Prime Minister Abe, …
USDA Updates Acreage and Production Forecasts
In the August Crop Production report released today, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) revised planted acres downwards, while at the same time increasing corn production to 13.9 billion bushels and raising the average national yield by more than 3 bushels to 169.5 bushels an acre in the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand (WASDE) report. NASS noted that survey …
Farm and Biofuel Groups Dismayed by EPA Refinery Waivers
Small refinery waivers will continue to take a chunk out of the gallons of biofuel that should be blended into our nation’s transportation fuel supply under the Renewable Fuel Standard, thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement late Friday that granted 31 more exemptions, representing 1.43 billion gallons of additional lost RFS demand. Only six of the requests for 2018 …