U. S. House Bill Would Derail EPA Regulations

With congressional action on climate legislation in doubt, two House committee chairmen have filed a bill to block the government from regulating greenhouse gases under its own power. The lawmakers say Congress, not “unelected bureaucrats,” should set envi ronmental policy. The Environmental Protection Agency cleared the way for regulation under air pollution laws a month

Biomass Crop Subsidy Carries Hefty U. S. Price Tag

Anew U. S. program that subsidizes biomass crops for energy use may cost $263 million this year – nearly four times its expected cost – with an opening emphasis on forest and sugar scrap. The Obama administration cited the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) Feb. 3 in steps to encourage clean energy production. It would


U. S. Invests $1 Billion In Expanded Biofuel

Th e Agriculture Department will spend $1 billion in the next 12 months to underwrite U. S. biorefineries and in cost-sharing payments for biomass, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Feb. 5. Half of the money would go to the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, now focused on use of forest and sugar cane scrap. Large amounts

It’s A Buyers’ Market — But Changing

For three-times-daily market reports from Don Bousquet and RNI, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.manitobacooperator.ca Grain and oilseed prices at ICE Futures Canada in Winnipeg closed the week ended Jan. 29 lower. Canola was pressured down by losses in the U. S. soy complex, bearish technical signals and steady farmer selling as producers have


Rapemeal Seen Threatened By U. K. Biofuels Expansion

Rapeseed meal’s place in animal feed rations in Britain looks under threat with the first of two major bioethanol ref ineries due to enter commercial production soon, industry sources said Jan. 28. Ensus is due to ramp up its biorefinery in northeast England during the first quarter of this year. It will take about 1.1

Markets Headed Sideways For Now

Bad weather – preferably elsewhere – is Prairie farmers’ best bet for a wheat market rally this year, the Canadian Wheat Board’s director of weather and crop surveillance unit told farmers attending Manitoba Ag Days Jan. 20. “We’re going to need a weather event in one of those big six (exporting) countries to turn the


BIMAT Maps Potential Green Gold Mines

“In Canada, we’ve always said that we’re going to use grain-based ethanol and biodiesel from canola as a bridge to get the market started. Longterm, we want to look at sustainable biomass conversion.” – MARK STUMBORG How long the world’s supplies of oil and gas will hold out is anybody’s guess. Some experts say the

Are U. S. Ethanol Producers Making Money Now?

The past year was challenging for the U. S. ethanol industry because at least a dozen ethanol plants filed for bankruptcy nationwide. However, profit margins for many plants have improved recently. This begs the question: Are ethanol plants making money now? Data provided by Iowa State University’s Agricultural Marketing Research Center shows ethanol production was



Excess Liquidity Driving Up Food Prices

Excess liquidity in global markets is driving up prices of farm commodities, which could be potentially dangerous in the near term, World Bank president Robert Zoellick said Dec. 11. With global interest rates at historic lows, investors are piling into different markets and asset classes in search of higher returns, raising concerns about possible asset