Oil Spill Helps Biofuel Image

Renewable fuels like corn-based ethanol will get a boost as the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico feeds worries by Americans about long-term dependence on oil, a top U. S. private agricultural economist said on June 8. “The spill has heightened the concern about our dependence on fossil fuels so that quite naturally

New Soybean Could Cut Into High-Stability Canola Oil Markets

“The story of canola is it has always been able to keep one step ahead of soybeans.” – David Dzisiak High-oleic canola oil, most of it from Canada, has dominated the growing North American demand for healthier, non-trans fat, deep-frying oils, but American soybeans are fighting back. Last month the United States Department of Agriculture


U. S. House Votes To Revive Biodiesel Tax Credit

The U. S. House voted May 28 to revive the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit for this year as part of passing a mammoth jobs bill. The bill now goes to the Senate, which is in recess until June 7, for a potential final vote. The biodiesel credit expired at the end of 2009. The revived

U. S. Senate Passes Bill To Extend Biodiesel Credit

The U. S. Senate approved a bill March 10 that includes revival of the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit for this year, which the renewable fuels industry has said is needed to increase output. The overall bill, approved 62 to 36, is a $149-billion package of jobless aid and tax breaks Democrats hope will help spur


Grain Volatility To Stay High In 2010

Prices of agricultural commodities will remain volatile in 2010 due to supply constraints, volatile shipping costs and a constant demand pull from new demand sources like biofuels, North American Export Grain Association president and CEO Gary Martin said Nov. 3. “In the last three years, volatility in this industry has increased and it’s likely to

Renewed Food Inflation Risk As Funds Eye Edible Oils

Less than two years after a surge in global food prices caused panic and riots around the world, investors are starting to return to vegetable oil markets and raising the spectre of renewed food price inflation. Billions of dollars change hands annually in the markets for palm, soybean and other vegetable oils, which are used


Weather Becoming Market Focus

For three-times-daily market reports from Don Bousquet and RNI, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.manitobacooperator.ca Grain and oilseed futures at ICE Futures Canada in Winnipeg closed the week ended April 9 mainly lower. Canola saw small losses, undermined by slowing demand and the large available canola supplies still on-farm in Western Canada. Canola declined

Food/Fuel Debate May Come Off Back Burner

“But it (biofuel) is still a very significant demand source for the feed grains and… it is likely to increase with the U. S. government looking to increase their ethanol-blending mandates” – DOUG WHITEHEAD, COMMODITY ANALYST The steep drop in energy prices from last year’s peaks has cooled the food-versus-fuel debate for the moment, but


World food system exploits consumers: activist

Raj Patel held up a Snickers bar, examined the list of ingredients and proclaimed it the key to understanding the world’s food system. The list included cocoa, likely from the Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer and an employer of child labour. It also included lecithin, an emulsifier made from soybean oil, found in

India considers oil import tax

India is considering to tax vegetable oil imports to protect the domestic industry from a slump in prices and lift a ban on exports, the farm minister said Oct. 19. Sharad Pawar also said the government would consider scrapping an export tax of 8,000 rupees (US$162.30) per tonne on basmati rice. “Global edible oil prices