U.S. corn production took another step down this month compared to September 2022, according to USDA’s latest Crop Production report. Based on conditions as of Oct. 1, corn yields are now expected to average 171.9 bushels per harvested acre, down 0.6 bushel from the previous forecast and down 4.8 bushels from 2021. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 80.8 …
Ethanol Top Priority for New NCGA President
Minnesota farmer Tom Haag is the new president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), starting his term on October 1. Haag farms corn and soybeans in Eden Valley with his son Nathan and has been farming for over 40 years. He has has served on the Minnesota Corn Growers Association board since 2010 and on the NCGA board since …
Ethanol Report on The Set
When Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) that authorized the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), annual volume requirements were specified through the year 2022 for renewable fuels. But that does not mean this year is the end of the RFS. After this year, the law requires EPA to set RFS volumes for 2023 and beyond, in …
Renewable Fuels Industry Holds Briefing on Set Rule
Fuels America held a webinar briefing with industry stakeholders Thursday about the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard. Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program in the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets annual biofuel blending requirements in accordance with volumes determined by Congress through 2022. After 2022, in a rulemaking commonly referred to as “The Set,” …
USDA Lowers Corn Use Outlook
USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report for September calls for lower supplies, smaller feed and residual use, reduced exports and corn used for ethanol, and tighter ending stocks for the 2022-23 corn crop. Projected beginning stocks for 2022/23 are 5 million bushels lower based on essentially offsetting export and corn used for ethanol changes for 2021/22. Corn production …
USDA Announces Climate Smart Commodities Project Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first wave of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity, with more projects to be announced later this year. More than 450 proposals were submitted for the funding opportunity and the strength of the projects identified led USDA to increase its investment from …
RFA Rebuts Reuters Ethanol Plant Emissions Article
The Renewable Fuels Association responded to a Reuters article published Thursday entitled “How U.S. regulators allow ethanol plants to pollute more than oil refineries.” The article states that “ethanol plants produce more than double the climate-damaging pollution, per gallon of fuel production capacity, than the nation’s oil refineries, according to a Reuters analysis of federal data” because the majority of …
ACE Explores Ethanol’s Expanding Role in Carbon Market
As Congress was passing sweeping legislation last week with provisions targeted on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the American Coalition for Ethanol was holding its annual conference focused on ethanol’s role in turning down carbon intensity. ACE CEO Brian Jennings says the Inflation Reduction Act “recognizes the role farmers and biofuel producers can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and validates …
Bill Includes Farms and Biofuels for Climate Action
Farm and biofuel organizations are pleased with provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden Tuesday, including new funding to encourage agricultural conservation programs and advance biofuels. “Through this legislation, Congress and the administration recognize that farmers’ voluntary climate-smart agricultural practices are an important part of addressing climate change,” said Brooke Appleton, the National Corn …
USDA Forecasts Lower for Corn
USDA has lower forecasts this month for corn production, supplies, exports, and ending stocks. The August Crop Production report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates corn production down 5% from last year, forecast at 14.4 billion bushels while soybean growers are expected to increase their production by two percent from 2021 to 4.53 billion bushels. In this month’s …