Cattle, Corn Contribute to Ethanol Bonanza

by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) The economic bounce that comes from the combination of corn and cattle in Nebraska "is unmatched any other place in the country," agricultural economist Bruce Johnson told the Nebraska Ethanol Board on Tuesday.
And the distillers grain that is left over from making ethanol at the state's two dozen ethanol plants is a big part of that picture, the University of Nebraska faculty member said at the board's October meeting in Lincoln.
Even though Texas regularly leads the nation in numbers of cattle on feed, NU research shows that Nebraska feedlots save as much as $10 per hundredweight compared to Texas in getting steers and heifers to market weight.
...Two keys in the cattle-distillers grain equation, Johnson said, are that distillers grain is available close to cattle feeding operations and that it can be transported wet. It can be fed before it goes out of condition and transporting water weight isn't a significant cost over short distances.
In contrast, Texas producers face longer hauls and higher transportation costs in miles, plus the drying costs that are necessary to reduce weight per unit and prevent the feed from spoiling.
That could contribute to a shift in beef production in Nebraska's direction over time, Johnson said.
Similar results could be seen with dairy, compared to California and its feed challenges.
... One area of growing export potential is China, which sends mountains of retail merchandise to the United States and is looking for something to take back in shipping containers. Alfalfa bales are another prospect for the return trip. READ MORE