It was June 15, 2021 when Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced additional aid to agricultural producers and businesses as part of the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, which included $700 billion for biofuels producers, for losses incurred in 2020. Not quite an entire year later, USDA finally made good on that promise today, providing more than $486 million for …
USDA Corn Outlook for Lower Production, Higher Prices
USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released Thursday report the 2022/23 U.S. corn outlook is for lower production, domestic use, exports, ending stocks, and higher prices. The corn crop is projected at 14.5 billion bushels, down 4.3 percent from last year. The corn yield is projected at 177.0 bushels per acre, 4.0 bushels below the weather adjusted trend presented …
USDA Says Ethanol COVID Payments Coming Soon
Two years ago ethanol producers were in the middle of the worst downturn in the industry’s history as the new COVID-19 pandemic put the country at a standstill and production dropped by 50 percent in a month. Under the CARES Act, $700 million was approved to help make up for those losses to producers, but that money has yet to …
USDA Report Expects More Soybeans, Less Corn
U.S. farmers expect to plant more soybeans and less corn acreage, according to the 2022 Prospective Plantings report released by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Producers surveyed say they intend to plant a record high 91.0 million acres of soybeans in 2022, up 4% from last year, at the same time decreasing corn acres by 4% to 89.5 million …
Secretary Vilsack Addresses #Classic22
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made only his second in-person appearance at a large agricultural event since taking office last year when he addressed the 2022 Commodity Classic in New Orleans Friday and thousands of corn, sorghum, soybean, and wheat farmers. He talked about the situation in Ukraine and being able to hear from the agriculture minister from that country …
USDA to Invest $1 Billion in Climate Smart Commodities
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Jefferson City, Missouri yesterday to announce $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse …
2021 Corn and Soybean Production Up, Forecast Higher
Corn and soybean production were both higher in 2021 compared to 2020, according to the 2021 Crop Production Annual Summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). U.S. corn growers produced 15.1 billion bushels, up 7% from 2020 and the second highest on record. Corn yield in the United States is estimated at a …
Ethanol Report Reviews EPA Announcements
The ethanol industry got some long-awaited announcements from the Biden Administration this week on COVID aid from USDA and biofuel blending obligations from the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s a mixed bag of good news and bad news for ethanol producers and in this edition of The Ethanol Report we get the details from Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff …
USDA Releases COVID Aid for Biofuels Producers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made good on the promise he made Friday and announced today that USDA will make up to $800 million available to support biofuel producers and infrastructure. Today’s announcement includes $700 million to provide economic relief to biofuel producers and restore renewable fuel markets affected by the pandemic. The Department will make the funds available through the …
Vilsack Expects RVOs and COVID Payments Soon
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Pennsylvania Friday to announce $633 million in investments to reduce the impacts of climate change on rural communities. Vilsack highlighted 791 investments that USDA is making in five programs specifically designed to help people and businesses in rural areas, including the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program. Vilsack also answered questions from reporters, several focused …