Missouri Corn Pleased With Primary

Both candidates for Missouri governor this fall now support ethanol.

The Missouri Corn Growers are breathing a sigh of relief today as pro-ethanol Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof defeated Sarah Steelman, who had vowed to cancel the state’s 10 percent ethanol standard for gasoline. In November, Hulshof will face Democrat Jay Nixon, who also supports the ethanol standard.

“Some candidates have tried to drive a wedge in Missouri’s agricultural community for political gain,” states Missouri Corn Growers Association President Mike Geske. “But farmers understand the market cycles and consumers aren’t buying the scapegoat tactics being used by ethanol’s critics.”

“At a time when families are facing tough budget decisions and canceling vacation plans, Exxon Mobile reported second-quarter earnings of $11.68 billion, the largest quarterly profit ever by a U.S. corporation,” Geske said. “Our wealth is going overseas and our businesses are being bought out by foreign investors, yet Missouri’s ethanol industry remains farmer owned. Members of the agriculture community have built this industry from the ground up and those dollars are staying here at home. In today’s economic environment, it is really one of the few bright spots.”

Missouri is home to six farmer-owned ethanol plants, producing over 250 million gallons of ethanol annually.