Drought conditions in the U.S. sent corn prices to a record in 2012 causing at least 20 ethanol plants to idle output in response to higher costs. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that farmers are expected to plant the most corn since 1936 at 97.282 million acres, and corn inventories as of March 1st were 8.1% bigger than originally forecasted at 5.399 billion bushels as compared to the expected 4.995 billion bushels. Both of these facts should increase production and improve margins in the ethanol sector.