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OSA eyes biofuels growth as an opportunity to boost soybean demand

The president of the Ohio Soybean Association says there are opportunities to grow biofuels demand across the state in 2026.

Pickaway County farmer Bennett Musselman says infrastructure investments and increased demand puts the state in a prime position for expansion.

“With some of the new crush plants that are coming online, we will have the ability to increase crush capacity here in the state,” he says. “Instead of sending that oil or meal out of the state to be processed into that final product, we want to make sure that we can do that here.”

He tells Brownfield the organization is working with state legislators to develop new renewable fuel policy aimed at increasing production.

“There were some studies done about building a sustainable aviation fuel facility here in Ohio that would create 400 million gallons of SAF,” he says. “It would also increase the Ohio farmer’s income by roughly $14 million per year.”

Musselman says additional guidance on the 45Z clean fuel production tax credit expected later this year could bring added soybean demand to help improve the bottom line for U.S. farmers.

AUDIO: Bennett Musselman, Ohio Soybean Association