If the biodiesel makers ever get the $1-a-gallon federal tax credit back, the industry could have plenty of feedstock for the green fuel come fall. This Bloomberg article posted in the Wichita (KS) Eagle says U.S. farmers are expected to plant their largest soybean crop this year: Soybean plantings will rise 2.1 percent to 79.111 million acres from a record …
DF Cast: Ethanol & Biodiesel Talk of Commodity Classic
Since it was the biggest gathering of the year for corn and soybean growers, it’s only natural that Commodity Classic was also a good place to talk about the state of the ethanol and biodiesel industries, especially when you consider the two grains are still the biggest feedstocks for the biofuels. In this edition, we listen in on the conversation …
World’s Largest Soybean Plant to Use Verenium Process
The world’s largest soybean processing plant will be using a a process from Verenium that will increase soybean oil production. This company press release says Verenium’s Purifine(R) PLC enzymatic degumming process will be used at the Molinos Rio de la Plata’s San Lorenzo plant in Argentina … Argentina’s leading soybean and sunflower seed processor: “Molinos’ ability to adopt new innovative …
New Holland Commitment to Biodiesel
When it comes to approval of biodiesel in farm machinery, New Holland is outstanding in the field. In both North America and Europe, New Holland has been a leader in recognizing the importance of biodiesel as a fuel source for agricultural equipment. The company was first to approve the use of biodiesel blends back in 2006 and has since moved …
New Study Shows Soy-Biodiesel’s Green Ways
While soybean-based biodiesel has been unfairly knocked at times for not being as environmentally friendly as it should be, a new study shows just how green fuel from the bean really is. A new peer-reviewed life cycle profile released by the United Soybean Board (USB) documents multiple energy and environmental benefits of U.S. soybean farming and processing, including biodiesel. This …
Loss of Biodiesel Incentive Costs Farmers, Consumers
Biodiesel producers aren’t the only ones who are being hit by the loss of the federal $1-a-gallon tax incentive. This story from Agriculture Online says farmers and consumers are also being hurt: Ohio Soybean Association president Jeff Wuebker estimates that failure to renew the tax credit, which expired at the end of 2009, will cost him about $12.50 an acre …
Soybean Genome Shows Ways to Improve Biodiesel
A team of scientists has cracked the code on the soybean genome, and that information could lead to better biodiesel yields from the oilseed. This article from Physorg.com says the team consists of 18 institutions, including the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Purdue University and the University of …
WASDE: Soybean Exports Up; Biodiesel Unchanged
It looks like there will be plenty of soybeans for food and fuel use, especially since the non-renewal of the biodiesel tax incentive seems to have put a lot of refineries’ operations on hold. The latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate report from the USDA pushes up the 2009 U.S. soybean crop now to an estimated record 3.36 billion …
Report: Enough Corn, Soybeans for Ethanol, Biodiesel
A new report indicates there will be enough corn and soybeans for ethanol and biodiesel production, as well as the feed, food and export uses those crops are tasked with. But the evaluation from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center‘s Robert Wisner, Professor of Economics and Energy Economist, says things could get tight if next year’s crop is hit with bad …
Soybean Checkoff, Clean Cities Promote Biodiesel
A group that promotes the use of soybeans and a program that works to reduce local petroleum consumption are partnering again to promote the use of soy biodiesel next year. This article from radio station KFGO in Fargo, ND-Moorhead, MN says the United Soybean Board’s soybean checkoff and the U.S. Department of Energy-affiliated (USDOE) Clean Cities’ chapters will develop programs …