The USDA recently released its Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report for July, reporting that corn use for fuel ethanol production in May was up when compared to the previous month, but down when compared to May 2021.

Total corn consumed in May for alcohol and other uses was 503 million bushels, up 7 percent when compared to April and up slightly when compared to May of last year. Corn consumed for fuel alcohol production was at 446 million bushels, up 7 percent when compared to the previous month, but down slightly when compared to May 2021. Corn consumed for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was at 92.4 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively.

The USDA withheld the volume of grain sorghum that was consumed for fuel alcohol production in May to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. The agency also withheld data on grain sorghum for April but reported that 115,000 hundredweight (cwt) (6,440 tons) of grain sorghum was used to produce fuel alcohol in May 2021.

At dry mills, condensed distillers solubles production was at 105,078 tons in May, down from 106,992 tons in April, but up from 95,904 tons in May 2021. Corn oil production expanded to 177,158 tons, up from both 163,024 tons the previous month and 168,904 tons May of the previous year. Distillers dried grains production fell to 322,855 tons, down from 328,691 tons in April and 380,620 tons in May 2021. Distillers dried grains with solubles production was at 1.9 million tons, up from 1.7 million tons the previous month, but down from 1.94 million tons during the same month of last year. Distillers wet grains production expanded to 1.33 million tons, up from 1.32 million tons in April, and 1.08 million tons in May 2021. Modified distillers wet grains production was at 468,772 tons, down from 517,270 tons in April, but up from 344,779 tons in May 2021.

At wet mills, corn germ meal production was at 62,882 tons in May, up from 59,351 tons the previous month, but down from 64,607 tons in May 2021. Corn gluten feed production was at 294,367 tons, up from 260,710 tons in April, but down from 299,123 tons in May of last year. Corn gluten meal production was at 112,099 tons, up from 102,677 tons in April, but down from 114,135 tons in May 2021. Wet corn gluten feed production fell to 205,508 tons, down from both 221,071 tons the previous month and 208,575 tons during the same month of last year.

At dry and wet mills, carbon dioxide captured expanded to 241,519 tons, up from 220,545 tons in April and 229,471 tons in May 2021.