by Ann Baily (AgWeek) As companies across the United States are building plants to produce renewable biofuel to meet anticipated demand, researchers are studying which oilseeds crops will provide them with the best product and which crops have potential.
The Agricultural Utilization and Research Institute hosted a meeting of individuals and businesses interested in the renewable biofuel industry in Crookston on June 9, to discuss a variety of oilseed crops — some conventional and some emerging — that can supply the industry with products.
Soybeans, though containing lower oil content than some other oilseed crops, such as sunflowers, canola and camelina, are the most viable source for renewable fuel use, said Allison Thompson, a commodity broker for The Money Farm in Ada, Minnesota.
The soybean industry estimates that about two dozen crushing plants, including three in North Dakota are being planned or are under construction in the United States.
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Crushing oilseeds other than soybeans requires special equipment and many companies are not set up to be “switch plants,” which are designed to be flexible. READ MORE