South Africa: Ethanol Boon Or Bust?
(AllAfrica.com) South African farmer Hannes Haasbroek flew home from an agriculture conference in the United States six years ago, inspired by the novel and potentially lucrative idea of distilling maize into bioethanol fuel for vehicles.Haasbroek's friends laughed at him; some called it a crazy idea. But in little more than a year, South Africa's first billion-dollar bioethanol factory will be pumping out 500,000 litres of the liquid fuel every day. Seven more of the enormous factories are planned for sites across the country. "Sure they thought it was an idea that wouldn't work - they didn't understand it." Haasbroek said.

Grain Outlook: Big Corn & Soybean Crops
(CattleNetwork.com) In the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report released this week, the USDA forecast the second largest crops on record for both corn and soybeans. Extreme July heat and drought in parts of the U.S. corn and soybean growing regions put crop yields in doubt. But corn growers in the Eastern Corn Belt enjoyed season-long rains and soybeans in the Western Corn Belt responded well to August rains. National average corn yield is expected to be 154.7 bushels per acre, up 6.8 bushels per acre from the early season estimate.

FUMPA receives Ag Innovator of the Year award
(Biodiesel Magazine) FUMPA receives Ag Innovator of the Year award FUMPA Biofuels, a 3 MMgy biodiesel plant in Redwood Falls, Minn., received the 2006 Ag Innovator of the Year award from the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, a nonprofit group in Minnesota. FUMPA Biofuels, a division of Farmers Union Industries, was the first facility to produce biodiesel in Minnesota, according to Charles Neece, director of research and development for FUMPA Biofuels.

Poplar Tree's Genes Hold Biofuel Promise
(Environment News Service) Scientists have completed the first genome sequence of a tree and the analysis could prove a major step forward in the effort to fine-tune plants for the economically viable and efficient production of biofuels. Published Friday in the journal "Science," the analysis of the black cottonwood is the product of a four-year international effort by more than 100 reserachers at 34 scientific institutions.

Pittsboro Plant To Produce, Sell Bio-Diesel
(WRAL.com) There are only four counties in North Carolina where alternative fuels are produced or sold. A new plant is adding Chatham County to that list. At the Piedmont Biofuels plant in Pittsboro, huge tanks have been filled with vegetable oil, glycerin and methanol. Even larger tanks are waiting to process and store the finished product. Workers are hustling to tie it all together because in ten days the plant will open for business off Highway 64 in Pittsboro.