A new report by FarmEcon LLC says the U.S. requirement to
blend 13.8 billion gallons of ethanol into gasoline this year will reduce meat
consumption by $30.6 billion.
It says the U.S. public would buy 25 pounds more meat per
person during 2013 if no corn was used to distill ethanol.
The report says that without the law requiring gasoline to
include ethanol, there would be little demand for the product in the U.S.
market.
"Further scheduled increases in mandated ethanol production will
likely lead to higher net ethanol exports, further reducing our ability to add
value in meat and poultry production," according to Dr. Thomas E. Elam,
president of FarmEcon LLC, who authored the report.
FarmEcon is closely connected to the U.S. feed and poultry industries.
