NASHVILLE, TN – U.S. ethanol production increased during the week ending August 21 as gasoline demand improved, supporting continued corn use by the biofuel sector. Energy Information Administration data show output rising 2.1% to 1.11 million barrels per day.
That production rate equals about 46.7 million gallons daily and was 3.9% above a year earlier. The four-week average slipped slightly to an annualized pace of 17 billion gallons.
Ethanol inventories increased 0.3% to a 10-week high of 25.2 million barrels. Stocks were nearly 12% above year-ago levels, with builds in the Midwest and on the West Coast.
Gasoline supplied to the U.S. market rose 4.1% to an eight-week high of 9.04 million barrels per day, although demand remained below both last year and the five-year average.
Ethanol exports jumped nearly 26% to 162,000 barrels per day, while refiner and blender inputs edged slightly lower.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Strong ethanol production and exports continue supporting corn demand even as inventories remain elevated.