Ethanol use continuing to rise, but corn acres falling

U.S. corn growers are counting on more U.S. motorists to put a new tiger in their tank in 2006 and 2007, but the same factors that are increasing the demand for the tiger – ethanol – could also lead to lower corn acres.

USDA is projecting that corn use for ethanol will increase by 550 million bushels or 34 percent in the 2006-07 corn marketing year as oil distributors substitute renewable fuels for the more expensive petroleum-based kind.

( Full story here )