As of last week, according to the Renewable Fuel Association (RFA), 73 of the nation’s 200 ethanol plants are idled and 70 percent are operating at reduced capacity. This would imply that 57 are still operating at normal output levels. Those plants have seen their gross margins bounce on DDGS and distillers corn oil prices, and a drop in corn and natural gas costs.
However, as an industry, the picture is bleak when extrapolating the margins across production levels and comparing to the industry’s sunk capital and fixed costs.
Demand for motor fuel has hit its lowest levels in decades because of the limits on travel and the general economic slowdown caused by the mitigation efforts for COVID-19. Now that we’re c...
What You Need to Know Today: Attacks between the U.S. and Iran intensified overnight and the U.S. Central Command reported that the U.S. naval blockade against Iran will begin at 3:00 PM CDT Tuesday. President Trump said the Strait of Hormuz is open to all shipping traffic, except Iran. In an...
Beef packer margins improved to -$172/head last week, up $31 from the prior week as sharply lower fed cattle prices more than offset a seasonal decline in the Choice cutout. The cutout fell to $382/cwt while fed cattle prices dropped to $248/cwt, allowing packers to recover some of the margin c...
Key Takeaways: Aquaculture is becoming increasingly important in meeting global seafood demand, gaining market share as wild-caught fisheries face production limitations. Superior feed conversion efficiency gives aquaculture a competitive advantage over traditional livestock production, with l...
