China’s push to corn-based bioeconomy slow despite surplus feedstock

In China, despite the central government’s efforts to boost consumption of its spoiled corn stocks for use in bioplastics and ethanol among other industrial uses, demand for these cheap inventories have not picked up nor have the industries grown significantly as a result of feedstock availability. Now it will be pressured further by farmers who are again suffering from low corn prices despite $5.7 billion in subsidies last year. One of the main corn-growing regions is calling for more ethanol blending and to deregulate ethanol production so private companies can also produce fuel rather than just public companies as is currently the case.