Increase in US maize for biofuel

ONE-THIRD, or 107 million tonnes, of the US maize crop will be used to produce 39.7 billion litres of fuel ethanol in 2010, continuing rapid annual growth in the global biofuel industry.

It is predicted that 4% of the wheat crop and 6% of the maize crop will be converted into ethanol in 2010 in the EU, where bioethanol production increased by 40% in 2009, to 3.9 billion litres.

Many governments have introduced new biofuel blending mandates, to improve fuel security and address greenhouse gas emissions.