US corn used for ethanol reached its highest April volume since 2019, according to the latest US Department of Agriculture data, even as US ethanol producers continued to also pull on sorghum to boost total output.
Corn for ethanol rose to 428mn bushels (bu) in April, a 1pc increase from the same month last year and the largest volume since 440mn bu were used in April 2019. This marks the third consecutive month with a year-over-year increase in corn use.
Increases in corn for ethanol use continue to lag overall ethanol production gains, however. April ethanol production totaled about 31.6mn bl, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, a 3.2pc gain from the year prior. Sorghum use has skyrocketed since last April and continues to contribute to overall increases in ethanol production.
Sorghum use in March totaled 10mn bu, EIA data said, a 25pc increase from the same month last year. Sorghum use data lags corn by a month. Sorghum for ethanol use has averaged 11.1mn bu over the past 12 months, with April figures expected to fall in the same range.
