News
Top end-users of corn hit especially hard during pandemic
The top two end-users of corn have been hit especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minnesota Corn Growers executive director Adam Birr says the cattle and ethanol markets are hurting.
“Right away we saw with the ethanol market, the importance it plays for our corn market. And when transportation has been reduced by 50 percent, we see ethanol production reduced in kind and see the direct impact on the market because of that.”
He tells Brownfield disruptions caused by the pandemic show how interrelated markets are.
“There’s a lot of co-products that come out of that ethanol plant. DDG’s are now in short supply, and of course that now creates issues and challenges as livestock folks figure out different strategies now that DDG’s are in short supply.”
Birr says Minnesota Corn is in constant contact with federal lawmakers through the National Corn Growers Association to advocate for resources that will help farmers get through the pandemic.
Minnesota Corn has launched a COVID-19 resources page to help producers navigate these unique circumstances.
