According to an analysis by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), “food before fuel” is a fight between states. After reviewing eight waiver requests from governors submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a common argument was farmers in other states have to provide their states’ livestock industries corn. The waivers request a halt, or lowering, of the amount of …
Global Corn Crop to Break Records
According to a recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, global farmers will harvest the second largest corn crop on record in 2012. In response to the news, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) criticized Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Senior Counsellor, Carmel Cahill for making unsubstantiated comments blaming biofuel mandates for increasing the cost of …
USDA Report Release Times to Change
USDA is changing the release time of certain key statistical reports beginning in January 2013. According to a USDA news release the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) will begin issuing several major USDA statistical reports at 12:00 p.m. EDT beginning in January 2013. The current USDA release time of 8:30 a.m. EDT will remain …
USDA Slightly Lowers Corn Crop
The September crop production forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture slightly lowers this year’s drought stricken corn crop to 10.7 billion bushels, with an average yield of 122.8 bushels per acre – the lowest since 1995. That would still be the eighth-largest corn crop in history, despite the worst drought conditions in more than 50 years. On the demand …
RFS Waiver Comment Period Extended
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a 15 day extension of the comment period on the requests for a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), who filed for an extension on August 30, 2012, applauded EPA’s decision. They requested the waiver so corn growers and other energy crop farmers had a chance …
Iowa Teacher Gets Ethanol Rocks Boost
The National Corn Growers Association gave an Iowa teacher a bit of a lift in its Ethanol Rocks video contest, an effort to highlight corn ethanol in this country. Mediapolis High School ag instructor and FFA Advisor Alaina Holdgrafer picked up an NCGA backpack filled with goodies, including a Sony HandyCam and a lot of information about ethanol at the …
“Forever Young” Switchgrass for Cellulosic Ethanol
Scientists at the USDA might have found a way to keep switchgrass forever young and better for cellulosic ethanol. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) geneticist Sarah Hake, working with University of California-Berkeley plant geneticist George Chuck, found that taking a gene from corn called corngrass and inserting it into switchgrass keeps the grass always in a juvenile form that doesn’t flower, …
Companies Point to Successes to Justify RFS
As the EPA considers a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) due to the impact the drought is having on corn supplies, members of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, BIO, are urging the agency to preserve the standard. During a news conference today, BIO provided a progress report on advanced biofuels to make the case in favor of the RFS, …
NCGA Officer Says They Respect RFS Waiver Process
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) continues to support the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and respects the process that allows for a waiver to be considered by the Environmental Protection Agency. That according to NCGA First Vice President Pam Johnson of Floyd, Iowa who talked about the issue during an interview last week at the 2012 Farm Progress Show. “If …
Syngenta Corn Trait Offers Ethanol Efficiency
A new corn trait from Syngenta can offer increased efficiency for ethanol plants and premiums for farmers who grow it. Enogen corn was specifically developed for ethanol production and just fully approved by USDA in February 2011. According to David Witherspoon with Syngenta, Enogen contains alpha amylase, one of the primary enzymes used in ethanol production. “So when this corn …