USDA PLANS TO CANCEL ETHANOL CO-PRODUCT (DDGS) REPORT

Oct 20, 2011  |  Today's News

In a cost-cutting measure, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is planning to cancel the Distiller Co-Products for Feed Survey announced in March slated to be done in January 2012. The report, which was designed to better calculate the use of the ethanol co-product known as DDGS in livestock feed, is one of several that USDA plans to eliminate or reduce in light of funding reductions for the current fiscal year and expected reductions in FY 2012.

Illinois Corn Growers are very disappointed that this survey is being canceled.  The last DDGS use survey was completed in 2007 and that was just a partial survey.  The DDGS supplies and markets have grown tremendously since 2007 and in fact the nutritional profile of DDGS is changing as well.  The carbon footprint for corn starch ethanol is determined to a great degree by the relative value of the co-products in DDGS in both the RFS II rules and the California Low Carbon Fuel Standards. 

This information is very important as we in the future want to meet a 50% reduction in the carbon footprint for corn starch ethanol compared to gasoline.  We had the same concerns when NAS did not conduct the surveys for fertilizer and chemical use on an annual basis.  The DDGS survey was expected to cost around $900,000.

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