Washington/New York | Reuters — The Trump administration on Friday unveiled a plan to boost U.S. biofuels consumption starting next year to help struggling farmers, a move that cheered the agriculture industry but triggered a backlash from Big Oil. The plan would require an unspecified increase in the amount of ethanol that oil refiners must […] Read more
Trump’s EPA promises biofuel boost, angers Big Oil
U.S. grains: Corn falls; wheat, soy rise
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures dropped on Friday while soybeans and wheat edged higher in muted trading as investors waited for the U.S. government’s monthly update to harvest projections. Corn futures remained under pressure from profit-taking after prices jumped to a seven-week high on Tuesday. The market shrugged off long-awaited news that the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn firms as oil rally offsets Midwest weather
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures rose on Monday as support from surging crude oil prices more than offset pressure from favourable weather for late-developing crops. Signs of easing U.S.-China trade tensions also buoyed the market after confirmation on Monday of more Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans that triggered a rally last […] Read more
Trump backs plan boosting biofuel quotas 10 per cent in 2020
New York | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump has tentatively approved a plan to increase the amount of biofuels that oil refiners are required to blend each year to compensate for exemptions handed out to small refiners by the Environmental Protection Agency, two sources familiar with the matter said. The plan is intended to […] Read more
Trump promises ethanol-related ‘giant package’ to please farmers
Washington/South Sioux City | Reuters — President Donald Trump said on Thursday his administration is planning a “giant package” related to ethanol that would please U.S. farmers angry that many more oil refiners have been freed from obligations to use the corn-based fuel. Clashes between farmers and the oil industry over biofuel policy have posed […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soy rise from multi-month lows
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures pushed higher on Wednesday because of uncertainty about the size of the autumn harvests and concerns that prices had dropped too low. The gains came after the most actively traded corn contract earlier in the session dropped to its lowest price in more than three months […] Read more
Manitoba Tories pledge to pump up biofuel content
Manitoba’s incumbent Progressive Conservatives have pledged to boost provincial mandates for biofuel content in gasoline and diesel two weeks ahead of a provincial election. The Tories, whom recent polls favour for re-election on Sept. 10, included the pledge Tuesday in a campaign announcement specifically aimed at the province’s farmers. The party noted its biofuel promise […] Read more
White House seen aiming to calm U.S. farmer unrest over biofuels
New York/Washington | Reuters — President Donald Trump’s administration has been scrambling to stem the tide of rising anger in Farm Belt states after its decision this month to allow numerous oil refiners to mix less ethanol into their gasoline, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Trump held a two-hour meeting on Monday with members of […] Read more
Ag-state senator says Trump EPA ‘screwed us’ with biofuel waivers
Washington | Reuters — Iowa’s Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency has “screwed” the U.S. ethanol industry and farmers by granting waivers to 31 small petroleum refineries, effectively exempting them from an obligation to use more ethanol in their products. The powerful senator, who represents the largest ethanol-producing state in […] Read more
Bunge, BP team up for Brazil sugar and ethanol venture
Sao Paulo | Reuters – U.S. commodities trader Bunge Ltd and British energy company BP Plc said on Monday they will merge their Brazilian sugar and ethanol operations to create the world’s third-largest sugarcane processor. The joint venture is the largest deal in Brazil’s bioenergy sector since Royal Dutch Shell joined forces with Cosan to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
