September corn on the CBOT rallied 5 cents to $3.40 per bushel in today's trading. Corn prices haven't been this high since mid-July. The reasoning: Anticipation of the USDA's crop production report and hot and dry weather in the southern Midwest. The northern Midwest, though, continues to get good rains.

The price ethanol producers paid for their corn today:

Verasun (VSE):
Aurora Plant: $3.21 per bushel
Fort Dodge Plant: $3.11 per bushel
Charles City Plant: $3.01 per bushel

US BioEnergy (USBE):
Platte Valley Plant: $3.32 per bushel
Woodbury Plant: $3.36 per bushel
Ord Plant: $3.36 per bushel

Aventine (AVR):
Pekin Plant: $3.28 per bushel

Hawkeye Renewables:
Iowa Falls Plant: $2.97 per bushel
Fairbanks Plant: $2.99 per bushel