Pork Economics 101
We’re going back to Econ 101 again this week. Figures 1 and 2 accompany the following discussion. Higher demand is a great thing! It allows everyone to be happy. Consumers are happy because they are the ones who initiate higher demand...
Markets' Ebbs and Flows Remain Baffling
My grandfather had a great saying for those things he considered unusual: “I’ve been to two county fairs and three goat ropings and I ain’t never seen nothing like this.” Amen, Ervin. Amen....
Rewriting Hog Price History
What a difference two weeks can make! My trip to Brazil last week and the associated e-mail challenges prevented my column about record-high hog prices from reaching the North American Preview editors. Too bad, because...
How Can More Pork End Up Being Less?
The United States is producing more pork but less is available for U.S. consumers, according to a Purdue University Extension marketing specialist...
Facing Three Crop Challenges
Has there ever been a more dynamic time for grain and livestock markets? I don't think so. The financial prospects of pork producers seem to change by the hour – or at least by the day – and I’m not sure I can remember when...
Corn Crop Poised to Be Second Largest
Tuesday’s Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were welcome news for grain users. USDA increased its...
Demand-Driven Rally Tied to Exports
The hog price rally that I wrote about two weeks ago has now carried U.S. farm-level hog prices to near-record highs (see Figure 1). This week will almost surely beat...
Ag Secretary Schafer Disappoints
Wednesday was a disappointing day for livestock feeders as the USDA once again turned its back on helping reduce the huge increase in livestock production costs. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer announced that USDA...
Watch for Feed Buying Opportunities
What we characterized as a “small decline in projected hog feed costs” last week is developing into a potential buying opportunity for pork producers....
Corn Prices Finally Pushed Lower
Good growing conditions and what some feel is an ambitious yield estimate from Informa Economics pushed corn futures prices lower last week, providing some much-needed...
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