By Ray Allan Mackey, Chairman
Kentucky Corn Promotion Council
With corn harvest in full swing, it is a great time to focus on how the Kentucky Corn Promotion Council is continuing to invest in projects that will increase corn demand. KyCorn is focused on rebuilding markets for corn farmers by growing ethanol utilization, increasing exports of corn and corn products, finding new uses for corn, and building upon our relationships with animal agriculture partners.
One of the most promising local ventures that will increase corn grind is the installation of blender pumps at fuel retail locations in Kentucky. Immediately upon updating Kentucky state law following the federal rules change to allow year round sales of E15, we invested checkoff funds to convert dozens of fuel dispensers to allow consumers access to the fuel. We worked with a variety of fuel retailers and marketers throughout Kentucky on installation of pumps that can dispense the product approved for vehicles manufactured since 2001. This is a win for farmers and consumers, offering a less expensive and cleaner-burning option at the pump – that grinds more corn. Our goal is to see blender pumps become commonplace for consumers across the Commonwealth.
It was also nice to see our ethanol plant and Kentucky distilleries adapt to provide pandemic needs. Through a partnership with Casey Jones Distillery in Hopkinsville, we were able to make hand and surface sanitizer distilled at Commonwealth Agri-Energy available to Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Ky Proud Farmers’ Markets, Livestock Sale Barns, and the Kentucky State Fair. While this represents a small portion of Kentucky’s corn, more light has been shed on Kentucky’s corn industry, and our partnerships to increase purchase of local corn for distilling.
Poultry and livestock markets continue to be KyCorn’s most important customers, and we stand ready to advocate for better market opportunities for our livestock producers. We are proud of our involvement with the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Beef Project which has a been a success story, making local corn-fed meat available at most Kentucky Kroger grocery store locations. We were also pleased that the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board made expansion incentives available to local processors to keep up with new demand for local meats in the wake of supply chain issues. KyCorn believes this trend will continue and is a smart investment to move corn through livestock and poultry.
Behind supplying feed and ethanol markets, exports represent a great opportunity for growth. As the world’s largest producer and exporter of corn, U.S. corn farmers are well-positioned to meet global demand. With 96 percent of consumers living outside the United States, the future of American agriculture largely depends on our ability to sell to foreign markets. Exports are responsible for 33 percent of U.S. corn farmers’ income. More than 20 percent of the U.S. corn crop is exported annually. Twenty-six percent of U.S. corn exports go to Canada and Mexico alone. Support of the U.S. Grains Council ensures we are actively seeking and nurturing new partnerships to capture these and other markets.
Our support of red meat and poultry export programs also move Kentucky corn around the globe. According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. beef and pork exports used 480 million bushels of corn and 3 million tons of DDGS last year. And, our support of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council helped the poultry industry export 300 million bushels of corn through its products.
The Kentucky Corn Promotion Council, a board of corn producers, is trusted to make sound checkoff investments to increase corn grind. To learn more about our market development programs, please visit www.kycorn.org.
May you have a safe and blessed harvest season.