USDA report looks at ways to grow biomass market

Expanding the market for biomass-based products, which include furniture, bioplastics, and biofuels, would create new sources of revenue for the agricultural sector, said a USDA report released on Thursday. It recommends a broad-ranging effort by the government to encourage greater production.

“The increasing demand for biomass is a golden opportunity to expand markets and create new revenue for American farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, particularly in rural areas,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at a meeting of the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Council. “This comprehensive roadmap will strengthen our production and preprocessing systems to provide incentives for producers and manufacturers, so that biomass can be used to fuel the American bioeconomy.”

The report called for research to assess the current market and availability of biomass crops, trials of new biomass crops, and methods to harvest and use those crops; further development of bio-manufactured and bio-based products; and training programs to prepare workers for jobs in the biomass industry.

“Farmers will not risk planting crops without established markets,” said the report in listing barriers to increased biomass production.

The report, Building a Resilient Biomass Supply, is available here.