Economics of Specialty Corn Products in Missouri

Abstract

The grain/oilseed industry is undergoing change. These changes are driven by more discriminating consumers and by competitive processors. Advances in plant genetics and processing technologies work together to produce and process grains and oilseeds that have specific food-, feed-, and industrial-use properties. While the current market for specialty food-, feed-, and industrial-use grain and oilseed products is relatively small, interest in growing these crops is increasing. Processors who want specialty crops offer incentives, in the form of premiums, to producers to grow them. Missouri producers have shown particular interest in growing value-enhanced corn varieties.