NCGA Members Discuss Future of Ethanol Industry at Fuel Ethanol Workshop (6-29-04)
Presentations by National
Corn Growers Association (NCGA) representatives on the continued development
of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS)
and new technology for measuring the ethanol yield potential of corn highlighted
last week’s Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) in Madison, Wis.
Theresa Schmalshof, vice
chair of NCGA’s Ethanol Committee, gave a
presentation on efforts to provide the ethanol industry with a standard platform
for measuring the fermentation characteristics of corn, while NCGA Manager
of Livestock Programs and Information Tracy Snider addressed the audience
on the latest developments in DDGS research. NCGA Director of Public Policy
Samantha Slater also represented NCGA at the event.
“It was extremely beneficial for NCGA to participate in the conference.
There were some very intriguing ideas discussed,” said Schmalshof,
a grower from Adair, Ill. “The people who attended the workshop possess
a wealth of knowledge that we can hopefully tap into.”
In early June, NCGA and Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. signed a letter
of intent allowing Pioneer to donate a tool designed to quickly quantify
the ethanol yield potential of corn grain in the dry-grind process. Speaking
to conference attendees, Schmalshof said establishment of a standardized
platform is a key step toward optimizing the efficiency of ethanol plants.
“There definitely seems to be some interest in the calibration initiative,” Schmalshof
said. “The people we talked to after the presentation all thought this
is an excellent direction for the industry to take.”
Snider and Schmalshof
also addressed attendees at a Governors’ Ethanol
Coalition conference that preceded the FEW. Schmalshof briefed the coalition,
comprised of governors from 29 states, on the Ethanol Committee’s strategic
plan.
“We had good dialogue with the governors’ coalition and they
are very interested in the things we’re doing,” she said. “They
seemed to be most interested in aviation-grade ethanol and its potential
to create new markets.”