The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expecting more corn to be made into ethanol and exported overseas this year, but less to be fed to livestock. According to the May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released on Tuesday morning, total U.S. corn use for 2009/10 is projected to be three percent higher than the current year with higher expected …
Renewable Energy in First 100 Days Progress Report
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack counted progress toward energy independence among the Obama administration’s first 100 days accomplishments. During a meeting in Washington DC with agricultural journalists this week, Vilsack said implementing the 2008 Farm Bill was his number one priority when he took the office of secretary. “The president gave me an instruction when he hired me to continue …
Biodiesel Fueling Growth in Industrial Oils & Fats
The amount of industrial fats and oils in the U.S. has grown by nearly one-fourth over the past couple of years, fueled mostly by the growth in popularity of biodiesel. This story in ICIS Chemical Business says the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) reports fats and oils used for industrial applications in the U.S. rose last …
USDA Sees No Change in Corn Use for Ethanol
The April World Supply and Demand report out today from USDA lowers ending stocks for corn, but keeps corn use for ethanol the same. Corn ending stocks were cut by 40 million bushels “as higher expected feed and residual use more than offsets a reduction in food, seed and industrial use.” Food, seed, and industrial use was lowered 10 million …
USDA Increases Corn for Ethanol Use
The newest supply demand report out from the US Department of Agriculture today increases estimates of corn for ethanol usage. According to the report, “U.S. corn ending stocks for 2008/09 are projected 50 million bushels lower this month as higher ethanol use more than offsets a reduction in exports. Corn use for ethanol is projected 100 million bushels higher on …
Ag Secretary Focused on 12-13 Percent Ethanol Blend
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack would love to see the ethanol blend rate increased to 15 percent, but right now he would be happy with 12-13 percent. “Our view is that we can get to 12 to 13 percent by just simply understanding that it’s significantly not much different than 10 percent, it’s an insignificant difference, and under the rules and …
Ag Secretary Endorses Ethanol Blend Increase
In remarks to farmers meeting in Arlington, Virginia on Monday, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack endorsed a request to the Environmental Protection Agency for an increase in the ethanol blend rate up to 15 percent. “We can move fairly quickly to move that rate up from 10 percent to maybe 12 or 13 percent in the interim and then take …
USDA Support for Renewable Energy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be providing loan guarantees to help the ethanol industry, according to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. At last week’s USDA Outlook Conference, Vilsack said the USDA “has a responsibility for keeping an eye on that industry” to maintain an infrastructure to produce the next generation of biofuels. Vilsack also says USDA is working with …
Record Distillers Grains Exports
Exports of the primary by-product of ethanol production are continuing to skyrocket. According to USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service, exports of distillers grains from the United States nearly doubled last year, up more than 90% from 2007 to total 4.51 million metric tons. Distillers grains are an ethanol co-product used as livestock feed. About one-third of every bushel of corn used …
Ethanol Outlook Brighter
Despite bankruptcies and attacks by environmentalists, the outlook for ethanol is improving, according to the chairman of USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board. USDA’s February corn outlook says ethanol blender and producer margins have recently improved and weekly production of gasoline blends with ethanol is on the rise. “We’ve seen relatively lower corn prices as of late and even producers now …