US Soybean Processing and Corn Ethanol Production Surge

US soybean processing and corn use for ethanol production have seen an increase in August compared to last year, boosting domestic demand for two of America's largest crops.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that processors crushed about 210 million bushels of soybeans for oil during August, a 6% rise from the 198 million bushels processed in August 2025. This increased crush produced approximately 2.45 billion pounds of soybean oil, a 4% year-over-year increase.

USDA also reported that 528 million bushels of corn were used to produce alcohol during August, up 4% from the same month last year. About 478 million bushels went into fuel ethanol production, with about 92% processed through dry-milling facilities.