Time in reference to my "only US demand" statement --- carry in soybeans continues to decline(or at least in the usda shell game). I have great concern that we can add bio-diesel in large volume and not greatly increase bean demand domestically.
The price for traditional diesel truck fuel continues to stay high even where gasoline has retreated $1 to $1.50 per gallon. Ethanol is thinning? I am quite sure the fuel charge for transporting everything from the container ships to the store is much of the markup in fuel prices. As the OPEC leaders reminded us this week..... we have(the US) been several decades since we have actually constructed new refinery (1976 is our newest one). Politically we are dead set against it. Yet Politically we are going to keep sending our dollars to China and hiring our manufacturing done. My Deere bearings are still going to come on a ship and take 1500 miles of trucking rather than coming 6oo miles from Iowa or closer.
Thirty trillion of debt and we are not making a dent in our fuel needs with green energy. The answer in DC and the press will be "print another 30 trillion with millions to the elected, and let them eat cake(or steak)". Our fuel needs continue to rise. We just have to see starvation to save the planet --the modern day revolution starter. Do our future goals include use of the Mississippi to transport grain. Simple answer. No. We have no plans past the next election.
The truck traffic gets thicker every year, the plane travel increases, Trains get busier every year and will continue since we are in coal need (denial) and anti pipeline. Petroleum fuel demand is going up(considering how much electricity we need to generate.).....while the rivers go down. If we used all the soybeans in the US for biodiesel it would make around 6 billion gallons of biodiesel. It is wasted mathematics when the dirt clouds start rolling. Will soccer mom congresspersons be smart enough to not burn all the crops for fuel when they can't afford groceries??
Huge numbers of acres without vegetation against wind erosion waiting for wheat to be planted or come up......or waiting for the winds that will start in the next 45 days. Irrigated corn acres with stalks gone to the choppers and balers(desperately trying to get every available dollar out of the 2022 disappointment). Bets can be taken, will we get the big winds again this year(all winter or just a few)- -- plenty of near bare ground and not enough moisture in the top three feet to get a plow into to stop it. It is the 3rd year drought jitters, when you wake up at night dreaming about dirt clouds from the 50's, it might be time for medication. But I am saving that for the second week of November.
