By Scout Nelson
A recent study supported by the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council and conducted by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) highlights an important advantage of U.S. corn in feed milling.
The research, carried out at the Northern Crops Institute (NCI), found that U.S. corn requires approximately 5% less energy to mill than Argentinian corn and 10% less than Brazilian corn. This is due to a higher proportion of soft endosperm in U.S. corn, making it easier for milling equipment to grind.
“All corn kernels contain endosperm, but softer varieties—like those grown in the U.S.—grind more efficiently,” said Alexander Grabois, USGC’s Manager of Global Strategies and Trade. He noted that this efficiency can save large feed mills tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs.
The study also produced pelleted swine feed using corn from the U.S., Argentina, and Brazil. While U.S. corn needed slightly more energy to form pellets, the resulting feed pellets were more durable and broke apart less during durability tests, which could improve animal feeding performance.
Despite these advantages, U.S. corn can appear less attractive during transport because softer kernels are more likely to crack. This has led to misconceptions about its quality, especially in international markets.
“We have to get the finances down so we can get their attention to reevaluate their existing operations,” said Kurt Shultz, USGC’s Senior Director of Global Strategies.
To counter misperceptions, USGC is working with global buyers to promote the economic and performance benefits of U.S. corn, including its reliability, data transparency, product diversity, and strong customer service. The next steps include potential commercial feed mill trials.
Photo Credit:gettyimages-chrisboswell
Categories: Minnesota, Crops, Corn, Energy