Nebraska Corn Board Initiates Grant-Funded Study of Distillers Grains Usage (10-18-05)
The Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) recently began the planning phase of a survey that will poll 9,000 livestock producers regarding their attitudes about the use of distillers grains. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and several other groups are collaborating with NCB to conduct the survey and ultimately analyze its results.
The grant, titled “Midwest Regional Survey of U.S. Livestock Producers to Identify Barriers to Distillers Grains Utilization and Enhance Market Opportunities,” is a two-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will survey producers in 12 Midwestern states.
“The goal of grant is to survey beef, dairy and swine producers in these states to gain an understanding of whether they are using distillers grains and what are the positive aspects of using them,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, ag promotion coordinator at NCB. “If they’re not using them, then we want to find out what the barriers are to using them and what can we do to educate producers about it so they can adopt distillers grains into their operations.”
Distillers grains are a coproduct of ethanol production. They are fed as a protein or energy source in beef, dairy, poultry and swine feed rations. By 2006, nearly 8 million tons of distillers grains will be produced, according to industry estimates.
The grant stems from an earlier survey conducted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, which concluded that “the nation’s livestock feeders must be surveyed” and “a massive effort must be made to educate feeders.” The NCB grant is much larger in scope than the Iowa survey, which polled livestock producers in Iowa and Minnesota.
“Through this project, the Nebraska Corn Board and NCGA hope to find out what concerns about distillers grains still exist in the livestock and feed industries,” said Geoff Cooper, NCGA director of commercial development. ”The results of the study will be instrumental in directing the future research and educational efforts of NCGA and the ethanol, livestock and feed industries.”
Brunkhorst said corn growers want to take the lead on getting the word out about the benefits of using distillers grains.
“It always better to be proactive versus reactive,” Brunkhorst said. “The ethanol industry is growing at a fast pace. We need to make sure livestock producers have an understanding of distillers grains and its utilization and the characteristics. This method is much better than being reactive and trying to get people to use it.”
The grant was announced in February 2005. Brunkhorst said NCB is putting the details of the survey together now and hopes to have it out by next year around this time. Results should be available in early 2007. The survey will be distributed by USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service and NCB is hoping for a 65 percent response rate.
“It’s a worthwhile grant,” Brunkhorst said. “We have the opportunity to work with key organizations, such as NCGA, the U.S. Grains Council and the Renewable Fuels Association and others that are important to us making this a successful project.”