Corn prices

[mnmtranching]

I been gone a while and I'm sure you folks have gone over it.

But what do ya'll think of ethanol now?

mnmt

 

[Jogeephus]

I like the idea of ethanol, just don't like speculators. Seems they are going to make ethanol an unviable fuel alternative. JMO

 

[aplusmnt]

Seeing how ethanol is not cheaper, you use more of it due to car getting worse gas mileage when using it and rising corn cost I am not very fond of it.

If it would for sure rid us of foreign oil, I would be all for it. But I suspect it will make a very small dent in how much foreign oil we import. The Middle East will always make sure oil will be cheaper than ethanol and we will always be importing it.

I do like the fact that technology is there though, if we get involved in a all out WWIII It might come in real handy when oil sources are cut off.

 

[dun]

Seeing how ethanol is not cheaper, you use more of it due to car getting worse gas mileage when using it

So I'm not the only one that's notcied a decrease in fuel mileage when I use the ethonal blend stuff. It's only a couple of a tenths a mile difference, but to me that doesn;t make up for the slightly (very slightly) lower cost.

dun

 

[aplusmnt]

Seeing how ethanol is not cheaper, you use more of it due to car getting worse gas mileage when using it

So I'm not the only one that's notcied a decrease in fuel mileage when I use the ethonal blend stuff. It's only a couple of a tenths a mile difference, but to me that doesn;t make up for the slightly (very slightly) lower cost.

dun

That E10 stuff we get around here only suppose to hurt mileage a small amount. But the E85 that is in some areas and is what everyone is pushing for will hurt a whole lot more than a few tenths. More like 30% or so worse mileage.

 

[mnmtranching]

What I'm talking about is that ethanol is now taking 1/4 of the US corn.
Corn is about twice per bushel as 1 year ago, even after a good crop. The price of a say 600 lb feeder steer is about 180$ less than mid Sept. Becouse of ethanol.
Ethanol still uses large amounts of natural gas for production, not to mention nitrogen fertilizer that is also natural gas. The net gain in energy is not much.
There are 40 some plants under construction or expanding in the US. How are we going to raise enough corn for ethanol and the livestock industry?

 

[dun]

I'm hoping ethanol becomes the emu of the 21st century.

dun

 

[icandoit]

aplusmnt wrote:

The Middle East will always make sure oil will be cheaper than ethanol and we will always be importing it.

So true, oh, so true...................

Dick

 

[donnaIL]

I personally am very unhappy $$ wise for us with the price of corn...our feed bill has doubled... corn at our feed store was $.04 per lb in Sep and now $.08 per lb we also mix in some purina feed and minerals and it is a real expense to feed out these boys on corn. I would think the price of fats would go up..but it hasn't. The feed guy said the farmers are holding the grain hoping for high prices..and i'm all for everyone making as much money as they can..but this situation is making a supply shortage for the small guy. We may look in to buying some corn straight from a farmer next year or look for other alternatives. donna

 

[KenB]

Corn is, in fact, America's No. 1 subsidized crop, according to Kenneth Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group. The U.S. Department of Agriculture doled out more than $37 billion in corn subsidies between 1995 and 2003. "The reason we paid such huge corn subsidies is that we grew much more than we needed domestically, so the market was glutted and prices bottomed out," Cook told Muckraker. "The export market didn't lift up prices. That's why corn growers want to make ethanol in the worst way. It's a get-rid-of-the-surplus-corn strategy."

If Uncle Sam would cut out the susidies the market will take care of the prices.
Only so much corn can be stored, it will have to go to market and when it does the prices should come down.

 

[mnmtranching]

Yep, corn is the #1 subsidized crop, but it is by far the USA's #1 crop, so much of our nations food supply is directly and indirectly tied to corn. Think about it, all most all of our meat, dairy, poultry,corn sweetners, corn oil, even corn chips and cereal. Thats the point, corn is our main food source. Ethanol now is using 25% of our corn, soon it will be 50%. What do you think that will do to the price of food? For sure ethanol will take care of the surplus corn.

 

[mdmdogs3]

having moved from Iowa abt 2 yrs ago - I lived in the ethanol subsidy capital of the earth - the price of 10% ethanol gas was subsidiesed (sp?) to make it sometimes 10 cents less a gallon than regular gas
I didn't buy it as it made my car run terrible - not only did my gas mileage decrease but the engine would continue to run after turning off the key - the dealer's service dept said the ethanol caused it (don't remember why)

the price of corn is really starting to affect the chicken business here in Arkansas - we've noticed the feed that the company delivers to us has very little corn - therefore the birds don't do as well

 

[somn]

Corn is, in fact, America's No. 1 subsidized crop, according to Kenneth Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group. The U.S. Department of Agriculture doled out more than $37 billion in corn subsidies between 1995 and 2003. "The reason we paid such huge corn subsidies is that we grew much more than we needed domestically, so the market was glutted and prices bottomed out," Cook told Muckraker. "The export market didn't lift up prices. That's why corn growers want to make ethanol in the worst way. It's a get-rid-of-the-surplus-corn strategy."

If Uncle Sam would cut out the susidies the market will take care of the prices.
Only so much corn can be stored, it will have to go to market and when it does the prices should come down.

Corn growers want ethanol in the worst way because it increases demand for the crop they raise. I know every corn farmer in America would rather sell his corn to an ethanol plant for $3.00 a bushel than be subsidized by the government for $1.71 a bushel. You people all sit on here and cried and whined about government subsidies to corn farmers but yet when the market goes to above $3.00 a bushel and the goverment subsidies stop at $1.71 you people sit and whine that you have to pay an outrageous amount of money for your feed.

Make up your minds people do you want the goverment to subsidize the corn farmer and keep your feed cheap or do you want the farmer to support and promote an industry that creates a demand for his product thus eliminating the need for a subsidy. Supply and demand that is all I here you people say let the market control itself. Well now it is and it seems some of you people hate the corn farmer even more now because instead of the subsidy that money comes directly out of your pocket

 

[somn]

Seeing how ethanol is not cheaper, you use more of it due to car getting worse gas mileage when using it and rising corn cost I am not very fond of it.

If it would for sure rid us of foreign oil, I would be all for it. But I suspect it will make a very small dent in how much foreign oil we import. The Middle East will always make sure oil will be cheaper than ethanol and we will always be importing it.

I do like the fact that technology is there though, if we get involved in a all out WWIII It might come in real handy when oil sources are cut off.

E85 is $.47 a gallon cheaper than E10. I do not know the price difference between E10 and regular gasoline because no regular gasoline is sold in Minnesota. But to say it is not cheaper is an untruth.

 

[KenB]

Corn is, in fact, America's No. 1 subsidized crop, according to Kenneth Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group. The U.S. Department of Agriculture doled out more than $37 billion in corn subsidies between 1995 and 2003. "The reason we paid such huge corn subsidies is that we grew much more than we needed domestically, so the market was glutted and prices bottomed out," Cook told Muckraker. "The export market didn't lift up prices. That's why corn growers want to make ethanol in the worst way. It's a get-rid-of-the-surplus-corn strategy."

If Uncle Sam would cut out the susidies the market will take care of the prices.
Only so much corn can be stored, it will have to go to market and when it does the prices should come down.

Corn growers want ethanol in the worst way because it increases demand for the crop they raise. I know every corn farmer in America would rather sell his corn to an ethanol plant for $3.00 a bushel than be subsidized by the government for $1.71 a bushel. You people all sit on here and cried and whined about government subsidies to corn farmers but yet when the market goes to above $3.00 a bushel and the goverment subsidies stop at $1.71 you people sit and whine that you have to pay an outrageous amount of money for your feed.

Make up your minds people do you want the goverment to subsidize the corn farmer and keep your feed cheap or do you want the farmer to support and promote an industry that creates a demand for his product thus eliminating the need for a subsidy. Supply and demand that is all I here you people say let the market control itself. Well now it is and it seems some of you people hate the corn farmer even more now because instead of the subsidy that money comes directly out of your pocket

Then what you are saying is if corn is over $1.71 no one will get a subsidy? :roll:

 

[mnmtranching]

somn, I like the corn farmers. I raise corn myself, hardly ever get a chance to sell however cause I feed it. But I know a 600 lb steer calf has lost 180.$ since mid Sept. All becouse of ethanol using 25% of the corn crop and its only begun. The days of surplus corn are gone. For us cow/calf producers it would be better to pay the LDP to corn producers. Some experts say an additional 10 million acres of corn planted in 07. Thats what? another 1.3 billion bushels. Still thats not close to keeping up with the increased demand that the 40 new ethanol plants will use.

 

[somn]

LDP's stop at the market loan rate either $1.71 or $1.76 I don't remember what it is it has been years since I did a Market loan. That is the top of the price support. I just called a guy who knew it is $1.81.

 

[aplusmnt]

Seeing how ethanol is not cheaper, you use more of it due to car getting worse gas mileage when using it and rising corn cost I am not very fond of it.

If it would for sure rid us of foreign oil, I would be all for it. But I suspect it will make a very small dent in how much foreign oil we import. The Middle East will always make sure oil will be cheaper than ethanol and we will always be importing it.

I do like the fact that technology is there though, if we get involved in a all out WWIII It might come in real handy when oil sources are cut off.

E85 is $.47 a gallon cheaper than E10. I do not know the price difference between E10 and regular gasoline because no regular gasoline is sold in Minnesota. But to say it is not cheaper is an untruth.

E10 varies about 1-2 cents up or down from regular prices. Is E85 a consistent $.47 per gallon cheaper? Always been that way always will be? Or is because of Subsidies and Government money going into the pockets of the Ethanol companies to make there product seem more attractive? And will it always be that way?

I have no problem with ethanol gas, as long as it is allowed to operate as a free market. Same with corn, make it a free market and let the chips fall where they may. But when Corn Producers get subsidies, Ethanol plants get subsidies, tax breaks, Government loans and Laws passed saying all gas has to have a certain amount of ethanol in it. Then all we are doing is allowing the Government to screw things up even more so.

America was founded and rose to greatness through Christian and Capitalistic beliefs. And now every time we turn around someone is trying to do away with the system that made us great.

Maybe if the Government would leave their noses out of it, we would be driving around in electric cars with solar panels on the roof with endless supply of free energy. But as long as they are deciding what energy source we will use and how much we will pay for it, we will be in a mess. Let the free market decide those things for us and in the long run we will be the better off for it.

 

[Wewild]

Good post

 

[dun]

Freind of mine raises corns, finsishes his calves on it and sells the surplus. This year he sold his calves rather then finish them and sold all of his corn. Made more money that way.