Thursday April 17 Ag News

 Gov. Pillen Joins Governors in Asking EPA for Fuel Waiver to Benefit Summer Drivers

Governor Jim Pillen yesterday signed onto a letter from a bipartisan group of governors to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are asking Administrator Lee Zeldin to issue an emergency waiver to ensure regulatory consistency for fuel suppliers heading into the summer months.

Nebraska is one of several Midwest states approved to sell E15 year-round starting April 28. However, establishing a nationwide waiver will help provide a stable supply of fuel and stem shortages and price hikes during the busy summer driving season.

The letter explains:
“While our primary goal remains uninterrupted access to E15 for our consumers, we do support the calls for nationwide E15 relief. Given the national energy emergency we are currently experiencing, our consumers need reliable and affordable fuel options, like E15, during the busy summer driving season. The extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine and other geopolitical factors that have left U.S. stocks of crude oil and petroleum products near 20-year lows.”

The governors stressed having a waiver that covers both E10 and E15 blends will ensure equal regulations, boost supply and thereby reduce prices for drivers.



Help Pick Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin—Nominations Now Open
    
Is the breaded pork tenderloin your go-to when eating out? If so, it’s that time of year again and we need your help to uncover the 2025 Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin! The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) is on the hunt for the tastiest, juiciest, most mouthwatering breaded pork tenderloin sandwich in the state.

Nominations for the 23rd annual Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest are officially open from April 17 to June 1, and you can throw your favorite restaurant into the ring. Whether it's a small-town café or a local go-to spot, now’s your chance to give them the recognition they deserve.

https://www.iowapork.org/community/contests/breaded-tenderloin-contest

Each person can nominate one restaurant, and if your pick takes the crown, you could win $100 just for showing your love! New restaurants pop up around the state all the time, each with their own take on the breaded pork tenderloin. So, tell us, do you have one you’re loyal to or do you have a newfound love?

“Restaurants should definitely be paying attention to this contest and encouraging nominations from their customers if they haven’t in the past”, says Denise Wiley, chairwoman of the Restaurant & Foodservice Committee at Iowa Pork. “Testimonials from past restaurant winners and even Top 5 qualifiers have proven Iowans’ love for breaded pork tenderloins and have reported selling 5-10x more tenderloins than their average.”

The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is a quintessential Iowa dish, enjoyed by Iowans and visitors alike. It's an extremely popular item on the menu in small-town diners and restaurants across the state.

Iowa leads the nation in pork production, and this contest is a fun, flavorful way to celebrate both culinary pride and local agriculture.

Here’s How It Works:
To qualify, a restaurant must serve hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches as a regular menu item and have consistent, year-round hours that are open to the public. Sorry, no food trucks, seasonal spots, or catering-only businesses are eligible.

After the nomination period, IPPA will narrow entries down to the top 40 restaurants, including the top five from each of its eight districts. Then, undercover judges will hit the road to taste and score the finalists based on pork quality, flavor, appearance, and overall deliciousness.

The top five will be revealed in October during National Pork Month, and the winner will snag $500, a plaque, and some serious bragging rights. The runner-up gets $250 and a plaque too!

Just how big is this thing?
In 2023 alone, more than 9,000 nominations came in for 774 different restaurants. So yeah—this contest is a pretty big deal.

Recent Winners:
    2024 — Dairy Sweet in Dunlap
    2023 — Cliff’s Place in Manning
    2022 — Lid's Bar & Grill in Waukon
    2021 — Victoria Station in Harlan, which has since closed
    2020 — PrairieMoon On Main in Prairieburg

IPPA also invites food lovers to conquer the Iowa Tenderloin Trail by June 1 and win a T-shirt.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 4/11/2025

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending April 11, ethanol production moderated by 0.9% to a 29-week low of 1.01 million b/d, equivalent to 42.50 million gallons daily. Yet, output was 3.0% higher than the same week last year and 2.8% above the three-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate slipped 2.3% to 1.04 million b/d, the lowest level since mid-October 2024 and equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.94 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks tightened by 0.8% to 26.8 million barrels. Still, stocks were 2.8% more than the same week last year and 6.2% above the three-year average. Inventories thinned across the East Coast (PADD 1) and Midwest (PADD 2) but built across the other regions, including the largest stocks in the West Coast (PADD 5) since January 2024.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, lifted 0.4% to 8.46 million b/d (130.08 bg annualized). Yet, demand was 2.3% less than a year ago and 2.5% below the three-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol rebounded 3.4% to 902,000 b/d, equivalent to 13.87 bg annualized. Net inputs were 0.3% more than year-ago levels and 1.5% above the three-year average.

Ethanol exports declined 21.3% to an estimated 137,000 b/d (5.8 million gallons/day). It has been more than a year since EIA indicated ethanol was imported.



Three Fertilizers Lead Prices Higher: UAN32, UAN28 and Potash

Retailers tracked by DTN for the second week of April 2025 continue to show fertilizer prices are increasing.

Three fertilizers had a sizable price increase compared to the prior month. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

UAN32 was 10% higher compared to last month. The nitrogen fertilizers average price was $439/ton.

Both UAN28 and potash were 5% more expensive compared to the prior month. UAN28's average price was $373/ton while potash was $467/ton.

The remaining five fertilizers had slightly higher prices. DAP had an average price of $777/ton, MAP $822/ton, urea $572/ton, 10-34-0 $655/ton and anhydrous $780/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.62/lb.N, anhydrous $0.48/lb.N, UAN28 $0.67/lb.N and UAN32 $0.69/lb.N.

Three fertilizers are now higher in price compared to one year earlier. 10-34-0 is 2% more expensive, UAN28 is 3% higher and UAN32 is 5% higher looking back to 2024.

The remaining five fertilizers are lower. MAP is 1% less expensive, both DAP and anhydrous are 2% lower, urea is 3% less expensive and potash is 9% lower compared to 2024.