Op-Ed: Has ethanol’s boost to corn production run its course?

A sagging economy, a leveling of previously booming demand for ethanol corn, and falling prices have caused a decline in corn production over the past year. Just a few months ago, the market had been betting on an anticipated need for a production increase of 1 billion bushels in coming years. Now, many plants confront likely bankruptcy. Says author Daryll E. Ray, “The bottom line is that depending on crude oil prices, it could be that the US may have hit a plateau for corn use by ethanol plants.”
 
These developments are critical in an economic climate where the value of corn is the single most important economic factor in farmers’ decisions about how to allocate their land. Full story: Agricultural Policy Analysis Center