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Governor Laura Kelly Proclaims the Week of May 26 Biofuels Week


COLWICH, Kan. –
 At a time of distress in rural Kansas, renewable fuel remains an important asset to drive feed-grain demand and improve prospects for profitability on the farm. Recognizing the many benefits biofuels provide to the Kansas economy, agricultural industry, energy consumers and environment, Governor Laura Kelly has proclaimed the week of May 26, 2019 as “Biofuels Week.”

In celebration of the proclamation, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Beam, hosted a recognition ceremony with the effort’s organizing groups at the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s headquarters in Manhattan.

“Biofuels add value to the Kansas economy and are an important contributor to the Kansas agriculture industry,” Beam said. “They offer a clean-burning, affordable fuel choice to consumers as well as provide valuable by-products for our livestock industry, in the form of DDGS and soybean meal. Biofuels play a key role in the long-term, sustainable agricultural prosperity of Kansas.”

Currently in Kansas, 10 ethanol plants annually produce 550 million gallons of clean burning renewable ethanol, worth nearly $900 million. These Kansas ethanol plants utilize 44 percent of all corn, and 30 percent of all grain sorghum, grown in our state.

Similarly, biodiesel adds 63 cents per bushel to the value of Kansas soybeans. Kansas has one renewable diesel plant, and a state-of-the-art biodiesel plant is under construction in Wichita which will annually produce 60 million gallons of clean burning biodiesel from locally grown soybeans.

“All the groups involved in supplying critical inputs to biofuel plants in Kansas appreciate the State of Kansas administration keying in on development and support of ethanol.” KGSPA Executive Director Jesse McCurry said.

Kansas Corn, Kansas Grain Sorghum, Kansas Petroleum Marketers Association, Kansas Soybeans and Renew Kansas all partnered to form the coalition for Governor Kelly to announce a statewide recognition of biofuels.

The aforementioned organizations will promote Biofuels Week through social media channels using the hashtag, #KSBiofuels, as well as disperse industry facts and statistics to media and stakeholders across the state.