LBDS Announces 6th Edition of The Alcohol Textbook.

Cindy Zimmerman

LBDS (Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits) is pleased to announce the 6th Edition of The Alcohol Textbook, produced by the Ethanol Technology Institute, LBDS’s educational arm.

The textbook is an outgrowth of the Alcohol School and has become the industry standard and reference guide in the industry. First published after the School’s introduction in 1981, it has grown from 100 pages to 602 in the current, all new, edition.

“We have been honored to collaborate with the many accomplished experts who have written chapters in their respective fields. This book has become the “gold standard” in alcohol processing information in the market today.” said Angus Ballard, President of Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Processing, Production

FarmLead Adds Price Discovery to Online Grain Marketplace

Online grain marketplace FarmLead has announced the launch of its newest feature, Price Discovery, which provides a comprehensive view of historical and future grain price trends specific to the user’s geography, helping farmers make better decisions when selling their grain.

“This isn’t just a simple price transparency tool. It is a price education tool,” says FarmLead CEO and President Brennan Turner. “FarmLead Price Discovery is the first of its kind to give farmers historical AND future grain price data points without any cost. We want farmers to be able to make smarter decisions when it comes to selling their grain.”

FarmLead’s Price Discovery feature saves farmers time and money by providing the data in an appealing and easy-to-use format — with no upfront or subscription costs. When coupled with access to thousands of verified buyers on the FarmLead Marketplace, Price Discovery allows grain farmers to close deals faster. On average, the total process adds six percent more value to the final selling price of a farmer’s grain.

For more information, or to register for your free account, please go to: www.FarmLead.com.

AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Farming

Get Ready for the Census of Agriculture

chuck zimmerman

It’s that time farmers. The 2017 Census of Agriculture is coming in December. The survey is conducted by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. It has been conducted since 1840 and is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It takes place every five years.

During the NAFB Trade Talk session I visited with Barbara Rater, USDA-NASS, about the new survey. She says there will be new questions that include veteran status, farm decision-making and food marketing practices. There is also a much improved online questionnaire designed to make it easier to fill out. There will also be versions for mobile phone, tablet and desk/laptop computer.

Barbara also talks about the importance of filling out the survey which includes being able to show the country the importance and value of U.S. agriculture. The information will also be useful for influencing decision makers on topics like transportation/marketing locations, farm services, production practices and new technologies and farm policy. I can vouch for the importance of the survey even to those of us in agricultural marketing and ag media. You can watch a message about the Census from our U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, here.

And congratulations to Barbara for becoming a member of the #GoldenMic Club!

Learn more about the new census here: Interview with Barbara Rater, USDA-NASS

2017 NAFB Convention Photos

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Propane Can Do That

Carrie Muehling

The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) has launched a new website dedicated to agricultural applications of propane.

“It’s a really good site. I think if you’re excited about saving money and having reliable, powerful, clean equipment, it will be a great site for you,” said Cinch Munson with PERC.

The site also offers details about the Farm Incentive Program to help people make the initial investment into propane equipment, offering up to $5,000 towards that type of purchase. Munson said about 10 percent of propane sales go into agriculture applications, from drying grain to heating livestock facilities.

Learn more about propane in agriculture here: Interview with Cinch Munson, PERC

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Growth Energy Podcast from NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

The Growth Energy Driving Ethanol podcast this week comes from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting 74th annual convention in Kansas City last week.

It was the first time that Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor had the opportunity to experience the one and only NAFB Trade Talk, a six-hour interview marathon between reporters and agribusiness company and organization representatives about industry news. There is probably not another event like it in any industry.

Skor spoke with dozens of broadcasters at the event, commenting on a variety of issues, including the hold up of Bill Northey’s nomination, the upcoming release of EPA’s final RVO numbers for next year, and China’s removal of the 11% VAT tax on DDGs imports.

Listen to the podcast here: Growth Energy Podcast 11-13-17

Subscribe to the Driving Ethanol podcast

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Driving Ethanol podcast, Ethanol, Growth Energy, Podcasting

CoBank: Cautious Optimism for Ethanol Exports

Cindy Zimmerman

A new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division is cautiously optimistic about opportunities for US exports in grains, oilseeds and ethanol over the next three years.

“In the absence of major weather disruptions, global grain surpluses are expected to persist over the next three years. Acreage expansions and improvements to yields in competing export hubs will be headwinds for U.S. exports,” said Tanner Ehmke, manager of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. “The bright spot will be the continual growth in demand. As the global middle class grows, so will the opportunities for US exports.”

The report predicts solid growth in short term demand for corn will continue while the ethanol sector will struggle to grow demand “due to changing market dynamics in Brazil, and remaining challenges related to higher blend levels in the US.”

Ehmke says both Brazil and China are determined to reduce their dependence on U.S. ethanol. “The US will shift focus to emerging markets like Mexico, Thailand, India and Indonesia in the medium term,” said Ehmke.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ethanol Industry Asks USTR to Suspend Brazil GSP Status

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. ethanol industry is asking U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to suspend Brazil’s designated country status under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) due to “protectionist and market distorting actions in implementing a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) that affects imports of U.S. ethanol.”

A letter was sent to Lighthizer this week, signed by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Growth Energy, and the US Grains Council.

“They’ve imposed a trade quota of only about 150 million gallons a year, when we’ve been shipping close to 500 million, and imposed a 20 percent tariff on every gallon over the quota,” said RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “That’s particularly galling because Brazil is …the third largest beneficiary of GSP eligible trade at more than 2.2 billion dollars a year.”

Dinneen says that has driven a $2.76 billion dollar trade deficit for agricultural products and ethanol. “They obviously no longer qualify for GSP treatment,” said Dinneen.

The industry will submit a formal petition soon.

Dinneen explains more in this Ethanol Report – Ethanol Report on Brazil GSP status

Audio, Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Growth Energy, USGC

Corn Crop Increase Surprises

USDA surprised many with the crop production forecast out this month estimating a two percent increase from last month for corn.

Based on conditions as of November 1, yields are expected to average 175.4 bushels per acre, up 3.6 bushels from the October forecast and up 0.8 bushel from 2016. If realized, this will be the highest yield on record for the United States.

“It’s a major surprise for the trade to see a production increase this large for corn,” said Brian Hoops, Midwest Market Solutions, during the MGEX crop commentary call. “It really is hard to make sense that this yield number would be justified by crop ratings, which all summer were near 10 year low ratings.”

Listen to Hoops’ corn commentary here: Brian Hoops, Midwest Market Solutions

“In 2005, the year the RFS was enacted, corn yield stood at 147.9 bushels per acre. This year’s record of 175.4 bu/ac reflects an approximate 20% increase in yield in just over 10 years,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “So, congratulations to America’s corn farmers who have worked so hard to achieve this record yield,” he added.

AgWired AgNewsWire, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, corn, RFA

Biodiesel Producers Testify at ITC Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

The International Trade Commission held a public hearing in Washington yesterday to hear from biodiesel producers hurt by subsidized biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia.

“We’ve got a group of members and unfortunately some biodiesel producers who had to close plants this year,” said Kaleb Little with the National Biodiesel Board during an interview at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting in Kansas City this week.

The Commerce Department has issued a final determination in the case brought by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Fair Trade Coalition regarding subsidized biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia and will update the cash deposit rates that importers of Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel must pay on biodiesel imported from those countries. The cash deposit rates range from 71.45 to 72.28 percent for biodiesel from Argentina, and 34.45 to 64.73 percent for biodiesel from Indonesia.

Little says there are actually two cases moving forward together, anti-dumping and countervailing duties. “One says the home country is giving an unfair subsidy and the other is that they are dumping at below cost,” he said.

To be successful in securing relief, they had to file with both the Commerce Department and the ITC, since Commerce determines whether the imports are subsidized and/or dumped, while the ITC determines whether the domestic industry has been injured by reason of such unfairly traded imports.

Little talks about this issue, in addition to what the biodiesel industry is hoping to hear from the EPA later this month on the final volume obligations for next year under the RFS. Interview with Kaleb Little, NBB

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Secretary Sonny’s First Visit to NAFB

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue made his first visit to the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) annual convention, where he made a stop in at Trade Talk and then spent nearly an hour talking with broadcasters.

The secretary’s first topic was the launch of USDA’s new resources to support veterans who might wish to pursue opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness, and rural America. “We’re very serious about supporting our veterans,” said Perdue. “They bring skill sets that we think work very well in agriculture.”

Asked when he might get a full court of under secretaries approved for USDA, Perdue pointed to his dress shirt and said, “I have a Free Bill Northey tee shirt under here.”

Perdue also commented on the bigger corn crop expected, trade issues and more. Secretary Sonny Perdue at NAFB

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