Production and Exports
Distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are the nutrient rich co-product of dry-milled ethanol production. DDGS utilization as a feed ingredient is well documented as both an energy and a protein supplement.
Combined, U.S. ethanol plants possess the capacity to produce more than 15 billion gallons of ethanol and 44 million metric tons of DDGS.
The Council has been instrumental in educating the global market on the nutritional benefit of DDGS. DDGS exports have exploded from 5 million tons in 2009 to more than 10 million metric tons in 58 countries in 2022/2023.
Mexico purchased the bulk of DDGS exports, consisting of more than 20 percent of the export market, while South Korea was the second largest importer. Vietnam, Indonesia and Canada rounded out the top five importers for 2022/2023.