Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has formally announced the state will move to B20 or a 20-percent biodiesel blend by May 1 of 2018. Minnesota Biodiesel Board Chair Jim Willers says the biodiesel mandate was passed by the legislature in 2002 and B20 is the last leg of the ramp up.

He says the push to B20 will have a positive impact on the state of Minnesota as well as soybean farmers.

Willer says Minnesota was the first state in the nation to pass a biodiesel mandate and has been a leader in production nationally.

Willers says biodiesel production uses nearly 30-percent of the soybean oil in the United States. He says there is still a surplus of oil so increasing production will help improve the price of soybean oil and in turn soybean prices.