Reading Time: 3 minutes New York | Reuters — U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s victory on Monday in corn-rich Iowa could represent a major blow to the country’s controversial biofuels program, reflecting its waning influence over politicians even in the U.S. farm heartland. Cruz, a conservative senator from Texas and outspoken opponent of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), […] Read more
Cruz’s Iowa victory could show Big Corn’s waning influence
Views mixed on impact of crude’s slip for ag markets
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — While just about everyone agrees the plunging price of oil will have a bearish effect on commodity prices, the size and impact of that fall seems to vary. As recently as Nov. 4, crude oil prices were $48.64 a barrel, but since then have fallen to US$37.86, as of Wednesday’s opening. Some […] Read more
Manitoba corn locked in sideways trading mode
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Manitoba corn appears locked into a sideways trading range for the foreseeable future, according to one industry watcher. From where the president of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association sits, it’s not surprising, given commodities’ bearish nature these days. “It’s not super-rosy; the (weak Canadian) dollar helps a bit, but we would like […] Read more
U.S. EPA finalizes 2016 renewables target at 18.1B gallons
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants energy companies to blend 18.1 billion gallons (68.5 billion litres) of biofuels into the nation’s fuel supply next year, more than in a proposal laid out in May, it said in announcing final rules on renewables use for 2014-16 on Monday. The EPA’s long-awaited […] Read more
U.S. ethanol output rising as industry awaits new mandates
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. ethanol production topped one million barrels per day for the first time last week, data showed Wednesday, ahead of a government deadline to issue a plan for the country’s hotly debated biofuels program. The largest boost in production rates since May showed U.S. ethanol makers capitalizing on a recent uptick in profit […] Read more
Reactions mixed on U.S. biofuel policy role in Canadian market
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — The climate of the Canadian renewable fuel market could shift when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizes its new targets, some industry professionals say. Revised biofuel targets recently proposed by the EPA would reduce standards put in place in 2007. The changes would adjust Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) regulations by reducing volume […] Read more
Expansion in U.S. ethanol on hold after blending targets slashed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Expansion in the U.S. ethanol industry, stuck in neutral for more than a year as the government debated biofuel blending requirements, is now likely to come to a screeching halt. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week essentially maintaining the so-called blend wall that mandates nearly every gallon of gasoline […] Read more
U.S. seeks middle ground on biofuel targets, pleasing few
Reading Time: 3 minutes New York | Reuters — U.S. regulators on Friday unveiled much-delayed biofuel targets that sought to strike a middle ground for the nation’s contentious renewable fuels policy but still met with threats of legal action from two of the biggest industries, oil and corn. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to raise its previous target […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn rebounds on short-covering, bullish ethanol data
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures on Thursday rebounded from a seven-month low after three days of declines in a short-covering bounce and following a government report showing higher ethanol output and lower stocks of the corn-based biofuel. Wheat futures were mixed as a weaker dollar and concerns about the outlook for crops in […] Read more
Ont. co-op swaps corn supply line for ethanol plant
Reading Time: 2 minutes Corrected, April 30, 2015 — Farmer co-operative IGPC plans to switch to Thompsons from Cargill as the main corn supplier for its southwestern Ontario ethanol processing plant, starting this fall. Thompsons Ltd. will start buying corn immediately for deliveries from Oct. 1 onward to the Aylmer, Ont. ethanol plant, IGPC (Integrated Grain Processors Co-operative) said in a […] Read more
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