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Trade mission to Japan opens door to sustainable aviation fuel

The head of Nebraska Farm Bureau says the Governor’s recent trade mission to Japan could create new markets for sustainable aviation fuel.

Mark McHargue tells Brownfield he met with the leader of one of Japan’s airlines last week who is interested in tapping into Nebraska’s soybean market. “It’s hard to quantify what or if we end up doing sustainable aviation fuel.  It could completely turn our biofuels sector upside down.”

He says it could be a few years before exports begin due to lack of infrastructure in the state. “We would be probably need to get more crush plants.  The byproduct would be soybean meal. That might actually be cheaper for our livestock feed because we would have a higher value with biofuel coming out of that.”

McHargue says the delegation discussed increasing beef and pork exports.

Delegates on the mission included representatives from the U.S. Meat Export Federation, Nebraska’s ag businesses, state commodity organizations, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the Department of Agriculture (NDA), and the Department of Economic Development (DED).

Governor Pete Ricketts called his fourth trip to the country a success.