Renewable Fuels Association Wants 10 Per Cent Biofuel

Canada’s renewable fuels industry is pressing the federal government to double the percentage of renewable fuels it will require in gasoline and diesel, the head of the industry association said Nov. 29. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association wants Ottawa to raise the ethanol-in-gasoline mandate from five per cent to 10 per cent and the still-to-be-implemented

Ethanol Plants Accepting More Wheat

Western Canadian wheat producers have seen an increase in demand from ethanol plants, thanks to more feed wheat in the commercial system. Jake Davidson, executive manager of Winter Cereals Canada in Minnedosa, said ethanol plants have been much more willing to take wheat this year. “I’m seeing an increase in usage in Manitoba,” Davidson said.


EU Biofuels Growth On Hold As Green Benefits Queried

The European Union’s biofuels industry is unlikely to expand until the debate about their impact on climate change is resolved and clear policies emerge, the head of a major U.K. biofuels firm said on Nov. 10. “The (biofuels) industry is being held back by a lack of robust discrimination between what is good and what

How High Will Corn Prices Go Before Usage Is Rationed?

The national average corn yield was the main focus of cash and futures market traders in the Oct. 8, 2010, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. Many market analysts consider this report a “game changer.” The resulting price rally in crop markets has people beginning to ask if this could be a repeat


Food Groups Sue U.S. For Ethanol Boost In Gasoline

Livestock producers and food industry groups filed a suit on Nov. 9 seeking to overturn a U.S. decision to allow higher levels of ethanol in gasoline, saying it could push up food prices. The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the National Meat Association and other groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency, saying regulators overstepped their authority when

U.S. Election Means A Pinch On Farm Funds

U.S. lawmakers will face increasing pressure to constrain spending on farm subsidy programs, possibly as part of government-wide austerity, in the wake of large Republican gains in the midterm elections. At its most extreme, the budget cutting could push millions of acres back into production by slashing long-term reserves that idle 10 per cent of


U. S. Election To Take Toll On Farm Funding

U. S. lawmakers will face increasing pressure to constrain spending on farm subsidy programs after mid-term elections on Nov. 2, possibly as part of government- wide belt tightening. At its most extreme, the budget cutting could push millions of acres back into production by slashing long-term reserves that idle 10 per cent of U. S.

U. S. Ethanol Makers Seek Renewal Of Tax Breaks

Attacked as subsidy addicts, U. S. ethanol makers may need help from friends in high places, including the White House, to hold on to lucrative tax breaks set to expire at the end of the year. The industry says it is ready to discuss revisions in the incentives, worth $6 billion a year. An amalgam


U. S. Offers Aid For Biofuel Production

The government is offering more than $1.5 billion in assistance, from field to filling station, to bring next-generation biofuels to market, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Oct. 21. Vilsack said the aid would assure renewable fuel consumption reaches 36 billion gallons by 2022, with the bulk of it coming from non-food sources such as grass,

Vilsack Says E15 Decision Underscores U. S. Support

U. S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Oct. 13 the government’s decision to boost the amount of ethanol allowed in U. S. gasoline was a strong signal the Obama administration will establish a strong U. S. ethanol industry. “Today’s announcement on E15 for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and beyond is a positive signal that we