U.S. ethanol exports hit record levels in 2025 and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service administrator Daniel Whitley told ethanol industry representatives last week that the Trump administration is delivering unprecedented public-private support to keep the momentum going. Speaking at the National Ethanol Conference, Whitley outlined the agency’s three pillars — trade policy, market intelligence, and market development — and highlighted a …
Rollins Shows Support for E15 at Commodity Classic
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins delivered a strong endorsement of biofuels Thursday at the 2026 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, calling on Congress to pass nationwide, year-round E15 legislation as a critical driver of domestic demand for corn, soy and sorghum. Rollins credited President Trump’s first-day declaration of a national energy emergency, which identified biofuels as key to extending …
USDA Secretary Urges Congress to Pass Year-Round E15
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed the American Farm Bureau Federation convention for the first time Monday, hitting on key issues being discussed by the nation’s largest general farm organization this week, including the need for nationwide, year-round E15. Rollins says President Trump is arguably the most pro-biofuels leader in history. “While the Trump administration has gone as far …
Trump Announces Bridge Payments for American Farmers
During a Monday round table with cabinet members, farmers and lawmakers, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $12 billion available in one-time bridge payments to American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs. President Trump said the $12 billion represents a relatively small portion of what the United States …
Biofuels on USDA Deputy Secretary’s Mind at 2025 FPS
USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden filled in for his boss at the 2025 Farm Progress Show Tuesday, chatting on the mainstage with Mike Pearson of This Week in AgriBusiness and answering question from farm reporters on site, expressing the administration’s strong support for domestic biofuels. “I think it’s fair to say that the second Trump administration has been …
More Corn Shows Need for Ethanol Expansion
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s August Supply and Demand Estimate calls for sharply higher supplies, greater domestic use and exports, and larger ending stocks, which all highlight the need to remove artificial regulatory barriers that are undercutting demand and constraining market opportunities for both corn and ethanol, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. For 2024/25, larger corn exports are partly …
USDA Peru Trade Mission Includes Ethanol
A USDA trade mission arrived in Lima, Peru today to work on expanding market access and boosting U.S. agricultural exports to address the $3.66 billion trade deficit with Peru. Export prospects are focused on a number of commodities including beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, ethanol, wine and distilled spirits. “I am honored to lead this delegation to Lima as we …
Rollins Talks Ethanol With Fox News
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has taken a much more visible role in the new Trump Administration than previous agriculture secretaries, appearing three times this month already on Fox News, most recently this past Sunday. In a wide-ranging interview with Shannon Bream, Rollins talked about a number of issues, from tariffs and trade to the price of eggs, and spent …
Ag Secretary Gets Earful About E15
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins heard a lot about the ethanol industry’s need for year-round, nationwide E15 during her trip to Iowa yesterday, starting with her visit to the Elite Octane ethanol facility in Atlantic, Iowa. “We’re very bullish for the next three years with President Trump leading the way. The seeds of policy change to drive profitability for our …
USDA Secretary Announces HBIIP Funding in Iowa
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited an Iowa ethanol plant Monday to announce USDA will release obligated funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. That funding had been included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Secretary Rollins made the announcement at Elite Octane in Atlantic, Iowa, along with an …