Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has outlined its strategy to be the global leader in BioEnergy while expanding its premier position in the agricultural processing value chain.

Sasol and the state-owned Central Energy Fund (CEF) have selected Siyanda Biodiesel as their empowerment partner for a proposed 100 000-ton-a-year soybean biodiesel plant.

Driven by government regulations requiring greater use of renewable fuels and concern over pollution, there will be an "unprecedented" 300% increase in global biodiesel production in the next five years, said Mark Zenuk, a vice president at ADM at the company's analyst day conference last week.

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) is expanding its business focus on brand building and packaging development, with the aim of becoming the biggest food producer in the region.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) released a report, "Achieving Sustainable Production of Agricultural Biomass for Biorefinery Feedstock," that addresses the question "Can American farmers feed the growing biofuel industry?"

China is becoming a net corn importer as a result of robust domestic demand from the corn deep processing sector.

With feed prices rising, pig meat producers in the UK coming off contracts could be facing, on average, an extra £12 a metric ton to renew.