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Grain Growers Say High Wheat Prices to Blame for Decline in Camelina Production

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Apr 19, 2009 at 9:41 PM MST

Story Updated: Apr 19, 2009 at 10:06 PM MST

It was recently billed as possibly the future of Montana agriculture, but plantings of the biofuels crop camelina fell by almost half last year to just over 12,000 acres according to a U.S.D.A. report.

The crop grows well in Montana's dry climates because it needs little water. It has been promoted as an ideal source of plant oils needed to make alternative fuels. Two companies operating in Montana had once projected millions of acres of camelina within the next several years. But the Montana Grain Growers Association says record high wheat prices last year kept many farmers from making the switch.

"We believe that shocking decrease has a lot to do with the price of fuel and the price of grain," said Carl Mattson of the M.G.G.A. "With grain being so high it was really hard for camelina acres to replace wheat acres."

Mattson says low prices for traditional diesel fuel contributed to the 46% decline by making camelina-based fuels less of an economical alternative.

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