Producer willingness and ability to supply biomass: Evidence from the U.S. Midwest

Producer willingness and ability to supply biomass could be a key barrier to bioenergy and bioprocessing industries. In this paper we investigate and compare the willingness to supply biomass in two areas in the U.S. Midwest: mid Missouri and southern Illinois. In addition we take into consideration their ability and capabilities to provide biomass to bioenergy processors by comparing their existing assets and their willingness to provide critical services such as transport and storage. Results indicate that mid Missouri producers had higher willingness to supply at moderate price levels. However, under ideal circumstances such as higher prices, southern Illinois producers would supply more than Missouri producers. Willingness to supply results varied across crops and price levels. However, comparable categories were fairly consistent. For instance, Illinois and Missouri producers would potentially supply about 40 percent and 32 percent of their corn stover to biomass processors, under ideal conditions. These types of estimates provide important information for feasibility and economic impact studies.