The Value of Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles in Pig Diets

Approximately 3.2 to 3.5 million metric tonnes of DDGS are produced annually in North America (Markham, 2000; personal communication). Ethanol plants in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota produce approximately 25% of this amount (850,000 to 900,000 tonnes) annually (Markham, 2000; personal communication). Most of the ethanol plants in the Minnesota-Dakota (MNDAK) region are small, farmer owned, and relatively new (less than 5 years old). These plants are utilizing new technology (e.g. batch fermentation) and improved quality control procedures to produce a higher quality DDGS compared to older, larger, privately owned ethanol plants (Markham, 2000; personal communication). In recent years, some regions of the U.S. have required the use of oxygenated fuels (e.g. ethanol-gasoline blends) to reduce air pollution from automobile emissions. Because of the increased demand for ethanol, the production of DDGS is expected to double within the next few years, further increasing the quantity of DDGS available for use in livestock feeds.