Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack demonstrated the Obama administration’s strong commitment to ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by spending over an hour at the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) conference on Friday morning. “This is an industry that is worth supporting,” he told the crowd of about 250 ethanol industry leaders. “Which is why the president is supporting the …
NCGA CEO Addresses Ethanol Producers
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) CEO Rick Tolman shared the farmer’s perspective to the American Coalition for Ethanol’s conference while addressing the group on the 2012 corn crop, the drought and NCGA’s support for ethanol and all markets for U.S. corn. “It could all change tomorrow,” was the theme of Tolman’s talk, just hours after the USDA released a new …
How Biofuel Production Helps Livestock Producers
The Midwest has finally been getting rain, but not in time to reverse the state of the corn crop due to the nationwide drought. Yet, biofuel producers are still helping livestock producers says Monte Shaw, Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). Because of ethanol production, there is a larger corn crop and more flexible supply than ever …
AFBF Reacts to Corn & Soybean Outlook
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economists says today’s USDA crop forecast is a “harbinger of volatility in global grain markets.” “There is an old saying in commodity markets that small crops tend to get smaller,” said AFBF economist Todd Davis. “If this holds true, then future reports will show declining projected production for corn and soybeans and further reductions in …
USDA: Corn Down 13%, Soybeans Down 12%
The drought is certainly taking its toll on row crops, as the latest USDA crop report out this morning shows that the corn harvest this year will be down 13 percent from last year’s numbers, with soybeans expected to be 12 percent lower than 2011. Meanwhile, cotton will see a 13 percent increase while winter wheat should be up 1 …
Corn and Ethanol Groups Respond to RFS Waiver Request
Corn growers would rather see a waiver request than attempts to eliminate the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) but the ethanol industry thinks it will still be denied by EPA. In response to the request for a waiver announced this morning by livestock and poultry groups, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Garry Niemeyer of Illinois called it “premature to ask …
Livestock and Poultry Groups Seek RFS Waiver
Livestock and poultry producers are filing a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking a waiver from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in light of the current drought situation likely to cause feed shortages. “We need a waiver now,” said Randy Spronk of Minnesota, National Pork Producers Council president-elect. “I and NCBA support American ethanol,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef …
Wyffels: Hybrids Are Better than 1988
A lot of talk about this year’s drought has drawn comparisons to the devastation of the 1988 drought. But during the the Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies event at the Harmon Farm in Vincent, Iowa, Wyffels’ Rick Buresh explained that corn is better able to stand dry conditions these days. “Drought tolerance of hybrids is so much better than what is …
Customer: Wyffels Brings Value to Our Operation
When Mother Nature turns against you, you need all the help you can get. Corn farmers throughout the Midwest are certainly finding that out this year. During the recent Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies event at the Harmon Farm in Vincent, Iowa, those in attendance got a lot of information to help them overcome the challenges the drought has thrown at …
Wyffels Hybrids Expands into Western Iowa
The success of Wyffels Hybrids has been demonstrated in how many more farmers are using the Illinois-based seed company and how rapidly it is expanding. “As we’ve moved forward, we’re kind of calling this year a revolution. We’re expanding into western Iowa with more focus,” Bill Backhaus the new Region Manager with Wyffels in Southwest Iowa told Chuck during the …