FDA approves camelina as cattle feed supplement

BILLINGS — Camelina companies say federal officials have approved the use of meal from the biofuels crop as a 10 percent supplement in cattle feed — a development that could boost the prospects for Montana's fledgling camelina industry.

Two companies, Great Plains Oil & Exploration and Sustainable Oils, have been working in recent years to develop a market for camelina for use as a replacement for jet fuel or diesel.

The crop grows well in Montana's arid soils, but farmers have been reluctant to switch over from wheat and other traditional crops.

Now the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of meal from the plant's crushed seeds for use in cattle feed. That could make biofuels production more profitable, by creating a potential market for one of the crop's byproducts.