In Iowa, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that a recent study prepared for the Iowa corn and ethanol industries predicts that without expanded markets, the “best days for corn growers are in the past.”
The study said the passage of year-round E15, a 15% ethanol ratio blend of fuel, will provide relief to farmers in the short term, but access to ultra-low carbon ethanol fuels will be necessary to sustain corn growers past 2030.
The study follows what the U.S. Department of Agriculture called a record year of corn production, with Iowa farmers growing 2.77 billion bushels of corn in 2025.
Iowa corn and ethanol leaders, referencing the study conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions, said the demand gap – or the distance between total corn use and total corn production – will continue to increase. A bigger demand gap means lower corn prices, assuming 2025 corn acreage figures persist, which would make it harder for farmers to stay in business.
The Decision Innovation Solutions study was “prepared for” Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Renewable Fuel Association, according to the report.
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