July 20, 2007

US House Panel agrees more studies needed for use of ethanol byproducts

The House Agriculture Committee Thursday agreed for more research to be done to maximize the use of corn-based ethanol byproducts to feed livestock.

Such byproducts have become increasingly important to cattle ranchers, but work needs to be done to make it more "palatable" to other livestock sectors, National Farmers Union President Tom Bius told Dow Jones Newswires Wednesday ( Jul 18).

A USDA study in late June found that about half the 9,400 cattle and hog operations in 12 states surveyed fed ethanol byproducts or "considered feeding them" to livestock last year. .

Dairy operations were the biggest users of the byproducts, while hog producers used the least.

About 38 percent of the dairy operations surveyed said they fed their animals the byproducts, while only 12 percent of hog producers used it.

The study of ethanol byproducts would be an amendment to the 2007 farm bill which is currently being debated.