|
 |
|
|
|||
|
 |
|
Apr. 3, 2015 Source: Ag Ventures Alliance Cooperative and Cellulose Sciences International joint venture news release Ag Ventures Alliance Cooperative (AgVA) of Mason City, Iowa, and Cellulose Sciences International (CSI) of Madison, Wis., completed a financing agreement resulting in the formation of a new joint venture, Stover Ventures, LLC. Stover Ventures will commercialize CSI's patented biomass treatment process for producing highly digestible feed products and high value specialty chemicals from agricultural residues. The process offers both economic and practical benefits for corn growers and dairy and beef producers. Corn stover management is an area of growing concern for growers in high yielding areas of the Corn Belt. The increased popularity of BT traits and continuous corn planting rotations result in annual residue that exceeds the minimum amounts required for soil health. Growers are spending more money through products and tillage practices to cope with the increased residue, but are still experiencing yield drags as a result of excessive residue. Nearly all university and private research available shows yield increases in continuous corn when some stover is harvested the previous year. Stover Ventures will convert harvested excess stover into marketable and transportable products, providing growers extra revenue per acre and effectively managing excess residue. Feed prices for livestock producers have been volatile in recent years. Digestible fiber sources are increasingly in short supply as a result of lower planted acres. Finding new sources for both feed and energy supplies from shrinking acres will be required to feed and fuel a growing and hungry world. Stover Ventures will address these needs by providing a new source of highly digestible fiber for inclusion in dairy or cattle rations. Livestock producers will be able to utilize Stover Ventures' product in their rations to improve income to feed cost ratios. AgVA has committed $275,000 of seed funds to launch the venture, with another $225,000 available if feed trials remain positive. CSI is providing an exclusive license of the patent and technical expertise. Brad Saeger, an ag business developer based in Willmar, Minn., has been retained to lead the development effort for the new company. Stover Ventures will begin pilot-scale production and dairy feeding trials early this year, with commercial-scale facilities scheduled to begin production in 2017. Tweet |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
