Ethanol industry expansion felt in U.S.

SOUTH DAKOTA - The rapid expansion of the ethanol industry is being felt far from American shores. It's also helping boost Asian imports of distillers grain.
calendar icon 15 December 2006
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The U.S. Grains Council is working to expand markets for dried distillers grains with solubles, or DDGS - a byproduct of the alternative fuel used as high-protein livestock feed - in Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and China, said Cary Sifferath, the council's Japan senior director.

"If we can find export markets for it, we can keep export prices up," Sifferath said recently by telephone from his office in Tokyo. "Most corn board members are very keen for us to keep working on that."

When ethanol plants turn corn into fuel, the process uses only the starch, which is about 70 percent of the kernel. The protein, fiber and oils left behind are concentrated into distillers grain.

A 56-pound bushel of corn produces about 2.8 gallons of ethanol and 17 pounds of distillers grain, according to the American Coalition of Ethanol.

The wet distillers grain can be sold locally, but it can also can be dried to increase shelf life, allowing it to be shipped over longer distances.

Source: Washington Post

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