USDA: Corn consumed for fuel ethanol production up in May

By Erin Voegele | July 10, 2017

The USDA recently published the July edition of its Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report, showing corn consumed for fuel alcohol production reached 452 million bushels in May, up 3 percent from April and 6 percent from May 2016. Approximately 89.6 percent of that volume was consumed by drill mills, with 10.4 percent consumed by wet mills.

Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses reached 508 million bushels in May, up 3 percent from April and 6 percent from May 2106. According to the USDA, May usage included 90.9 percent for alcohol, including 3.08 million bushels for beverage alcohol.

Sorghum consumption for fuel alcohol consumption was also up in May, reaching nearly 6.91 million hundredweight (cwt) (386,904 tons), up from 5.5 million cwt in April and 6.3 million cwt in May 2016.

At dry mill facilities, condensed distillers solubles production reached 146,225 tons, up from 118,242 tons in April and 131,318 tons in May 2016. Corn oil production reached 148,544 tons, up from 132,804 tons in April and 125,311 tons the previous May. Distillers dried grains production reached 435,640, down from 437,914 tons in April, but up from 411,467 tons in May 2106. Distillers dried grains with solubles production reached nearly 1.91 million tons, up from 1.75 tons in April and 1.85 million tons in May 2016. Distillers wet grains production reached 1.36 million tons, up from 1.3 million tons on April and 1.23 million tons in May 2106. Modified distillers wet grains production increased to 460,831 tons in May, up from 431,983 tons in April and 425,343 tons in May of the previous year.

At wet mills, corn germ meal production reached 63,302 tons, up from 60,519 tons in April, but down from 63,859 tons in May 2016. Corn gluten feed production reached 341,167 tons, down from 346,377 tons in April, but up from 332,975 tons in May of the previous year. Corn gluten meal production increased to 91,895 tons, up from 90,133 tons in April and 88,177 tons in May 2016. Wet corn gluten feed production was also up, reaching 313,876 tons, compared to 283,835 tons in April and 306,424 tons in May 2016.

Carbon dioxide captured at wet and dry mills reached 201,035 tons, up from 200,431 tons in April, but down from 203,264 tons in May 2106.