Agriculture Secretary Vilsack today renewed a historic agreement with U.S. dairy producers to accelerate the adoption of innovative waste-to-energy projects and energy efficiency improvements on U.S. dairy farms, both of which help producers diversify revenues and reduce utility expenses on their operations. The pact extends a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009. USDA support for agricultural and …
Vilsack, LaHood Extend Aviation Biofuels Commitment
Two members of Pres. Obama’s cabinet today have signed their names to an agreement that will extend the administration’s commitment to the production of biofuels for use in airplanes. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have extended by five years the “Farm to Fly” program, an initiative to partner the USDA and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) …
USDA Increases Corn for Ethanol Use
The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate released this week increased 2012-13 year-ending corn stocks and corn use for ethanol. Domestic corn use for 2012/13 is projected 100 million bushels lower as a 50-million-bushel increase in corn used to produce ethanol partly offsets the lower projection for feed and residual disappearance. Larger-than-expected March 1 corn supplies, lower corn prices, …
Oversupply Could Provide US Sugar for Ethanol
Ethanol producers could get a sweet deal on sugar for ethanol if the administration approves the sale of up to 400,000 tons of surplus sugar under the 2008 Farm Bill Farm Bill Feedstock Flexibility Program. The program allows USDA to buy the surplus sugar and then sell it to ethanol producers at a loss in order to keep prices from …
Ethanol Blender Pumps Funds Now Available
Federal money to help offset the costs of putting in ethanol blender pumps is being made available. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) announced the USDA is now accepting applications for federal Rural Energy For America Program (REAP) funds to help gasoline retailers install blender pumps, the third year that blender pumps have been authorized as part of the REAP program …
Partnership for Sustainable Cellulosic Feedstock Harvesting
USDA has announced a new collaboration with DuPont to promote sustainable harvesting of bio-based feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol. The joint agreement between USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and DuPont aims to set voluntary standards for the sustainable harvesting of agricultural residues for renewable fuel, and supports rural job creation, additional income for farmers, bio-based energy development, and the safeguarding …
Farmers Expect to Plant Most Corn and Soybeans Ever
According to the USDA 2013 Prospective Plantings report, farmers intend to plant a little more corn and a little less soybeans this year, for a total of 174.4 million acres. “This will be the highest total amount of acres for those two crops that we have on record,” said USDA chief economist Joe Glauber. Corn growers intend to plant 97.3 …
Corn Use for Ethanol Steady
Projected 2012/13 U.S. corn ending stocks were unchanged in the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report out Friday, lowering exports but increasing feed use and keeping corn use for ethanol the same. Projected corn use for ethanol this season remains unchanged at 4.5 billion bushels, which is down 10 percent from last year on lower gasoline use, according to …
Vilsack at Biodiesel Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack went from the National Ethanol Conference to the National Biodiesel Conference today in Las Vegas. Vilsack addressed a standing room only crowd during the final day of the 10th Annual National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. Beginning his second term as part of the Obama Administration, prior to taking this position he was the …
Taking Corn Cobs for Biofuels Won’t Hurt Soil Quality
Concerns over hurting the soil quality when harvesting some crop residues for cellulosic biofuels, instead of leaving the residues on the fields to help the soil quality, might be unfounded. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research says that soil quality would not decline if post-harvest corn cobs were removed from the field. “Crop residues have many useful functions when left …