Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager has announced payments to 189 companies to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. Four are from Nebraska.
Ag Processing, Inc. headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska will receive $942,335 in payments for biodiesel production from soybean, canola and waste vegetable oils at their St. Joseph, Missouri, Sargeant Bluffs, Iowa, and Algona, Iowa production facilities. Chief Ethanol Fuel, Inc. will receive $10,110 in payments for ethanol production from sorghum at its plant located in Hastings, Nebraska. Cornhusker Energy Lexington, LLC will receive $12,105 in payments for ethanol production from sorghum at its plant located in Lexington, Nebraska. KAAPA Ethanol, LLC will receive $658 in payments for ethanol production from sorghum at its plant located in Minden, Nebraska.
“These payments support the nation’s expanding alternative fuels industry by encouraging the use of renewable feedstocks and helping to create a stronger energy future,” Tonsager said. “Advanced biofuels production is a key component of the President’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy, which is designed to reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil.”
The payments total more than $15.7 million. The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, which was established in the 2008 Farm Bill. Under this program, payments are made to eligible producers based on the amount of biofuels produced from renewable biomass from a wide variety of non-food sources, including waste products.
Examples of eligible feedstocks include but are not limited to crop residue; animal, food and yard waste material; and vegetable oil. Through this program and others, USDA is working to support the research, investment and infrastructure necessary to build a strong biofuels industry that brings enhanced economic opportunity to rural areas.
For a list of the 166 producers receiving payments of more than $500 for the production of advanced biofuels, please click here (The 23 producers receiving payments of $500 or less are not included in the list.)
For information on Rural Development loans and grants to other rural businesses and individuals, visit Rural Development’s new interactive web map featuring program funding and success stories for fiscal years 2009-2011. The data can be found at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/
President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities.
USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has an active portfolio of more than $174 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America.