ethanol

The heat is on again in the U.S. Congress to take action before the end of the year. Next on the list is whether or not to extend the ethanol subsidies.

First up to bat in the debate are Senators Dianne Feinstein and Jon Kyl calling for end end to the ethanol subsidies.

Corn production and demand are coming together to increase corn prices. This is great for corn growers but not great for those that depend on corn for animal feed. Adding ethanol into the mix again put corn in the middle of the food versus fuel debate.

Ethanol is consuming corn at a rate that is only 10 percent less than that of livestock and poultry demand. And more than one bushel of corn out of three produced in the US will be converted to ethanol in the current marketing year. That is going to cause concern about the amount of corn we will produce and whether it will be enough to meet demand with minimal rationing. And that causes concern for the traders.

Dr. Robert Wisner, University Professor Emeritus at Iowa State University, states "Corn supplies will be tight and some rationing of demand likely will be needed in the year ahead." This is not a great situation for those in animal agriculture without hedges and other risk mitigation actions in play.

CropVillage 0169 Show Notes:

• An examination of how the oil, ethanol and grain price linkage is holding up

CropVillage 0141 Show Notes:

• Economist Mark Edelmann looks at the current economic landscape and the forces which conspired to land us here
• Transition to ethanol economy.  Not positive currently but long-term the outlook is hopeful
• A new use for an old gene 'amps up' the productive capability of a corn plant.  Not for grain, but biomass and silage producers can see benefits

CropVillage 0117 Show Notes:

• POET's cellulosic ethanol program utilizing corn cobs underway amid continued development
• Partnering with POET, Case-IH harvesting equipment development program outlined by Sam Acre
• Ethanol development overview and outlook with Dan O'Brien

CropVillage 0104 Show Notes:

• The impacts of ethanol production travel beyond economic considerations
• Followup conversation with Dr Vincent Amanor-Boadu on the role of speculators in the marketplace

CropVillage 0080 Show Notes:

• Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy to fight for food and fuel policies
• In-field pelletizing of cellulosic feedstock one area of research in the biofuels effort
• Case-IH planter research ongoing at the Ag Information Center
• Plant pops to ensure corn maximum utilization of sunlight
  

CropVillage 0074 Show Notes:

• VeraSun says another delayed opening for a North Dakota ethanol plant
• Corn will remain top of the line biofuel source for several reasons
• Geneticists looking for wheat leaf rust solutions that can be transferred to the plant
• Management communications... Keep it simple but raise the noise level

CropVillage 0067 Show Notes:

• WTO finds against US Cotton subsidies
• The economics of ethanol with Ohio State's Dr Matthew Roberts
• World food prices climbing 40% over the past year
• Spraying fungicides a paying proposition when disease causing weather is at hand