Normally we’re not enamored of biofuels. Its not the food vs fuel argument. For us it’s the too much input energy goes in for what we get out.

While I’m not certain that that equation has been solved, we found a very interesting discussion of biofuels in a report from Ricardo in Great Britain that bodes well for many of us in the precision machined products industry. Especially those of us who make parts for off road heavy equipment and agricultural markets.

In North Carolina the state is growing biofuels along the highways.

The impact of biofuels: When considering the outlook for biofuels, the study concludes that the food vs. fuel argument may be poorly supported; for much of the last three decades, the agricultural sector has been constrained more by under-investment than by supply. If crop yields increase at historic rates, there will be enough surplus conventional fuel crops to displace a significant amount of fossil fuels. And more than likely, the higher current selling prices will drive investment in production and research to further increase yields, making more sugar, starch, and biomass available for conventional biofuels production. As a result, the study projects that the production of first-generation biofuels may increase by five to six times over today’s levels, without allowing for any additional contribution from advanced biofuels, whose prospects remain uncertain.” Designfax

If that is the case, I see a major increase in the need for tractors and harvesting technology.

We make parts for those technologies.

To order this £25,000 study

NCDOT Canola Harvest.