Queensland Ethanol Mandate Leaves Lotfeeders Exposed during Times of Grain Shortage

(Beef Central) Lotfeeders remain deeply concerned about the long-term impact that the Queensland Government’s ethanol mandate from this month will have on Australia’s grainfed cattle sector. READ MORE and MORE / MORE (Queensland Country Life)

Excerpt from Queensland Country Life: “It does not set the price for feed grain, all it does is ensure there is demand from the biofuel sector.”

Mr Newton (Wayne Newton president of the grains section of AgForce), who farms near Dalby, where the Dalby Bio-Refinery is manufacturing ethanol, said local farmers appreciated the steady demand the refinery provided.

“It is not going to be a home for all our grain, but it will be reliable, whereas a lot of feeder demand waxes and wanes according to the cattle price.”

In terms of feed grain, Mr Newton said feeders would get access to a highly nutritious by-product from ethanol manufacturing.

“Dry distillers’ grain (DDG) is high in fat and in protein and is rated very highly by many of the businesses that use it.”

He said the mandate could not be thought of solely in terms of the ethanol sector.

“Down the track we are hopeful businesses involved in ethanol will be able to invest in research into second generation biofuel, whether that be cellulose-based products or other innovations.”

Mr Newton said the plant could also handle barley and wheat but said low gluten grain like sorghum was more efficient.

Larissa Rose, of the Queensland Renewal Fuels Association said biofuel could drastically improve Australian agriculture’s productivity, but said a viable first generation biofuel sector based on ethanol and biodiesel was critical to get further investment for more research.

“We could see biofuel made from diverse feedstocks, ranging from native legumes to high biomass shrub and tree species, even algae, but we need to get that initial momentum going, get those foundations there and get a viable first generation biofuel industry going” she said. READ MORE