In the past few weeks, I’ve been asked repeatedly for my thoughts on the profitability of the US swine industry in 2009. The reason for the question is the large amount of uncertainty in the outlook for the many variables … Continue reading
I’ve been involved in many behind the scenes work on the issues of swine facilities in rural communities. As I’ve worked with various public policy groups and ag commodity groups, there are 2 statements that often arise as we discuss … Continue reading
With carcass bids still languishing in the $53-54/cwt range in the US, I thought it would be fun to take a look at current market prices for slaughter pigs in Europe. The following data was compiled by Feedinfo News Service … Continue reading
As I write this week’s comments, I am still basking in the glow of a Thanksgiving Day spent with family. Yesterday morning I began the holiday by attending church services. When I was on the faculty at the University of … Continue reading
I spent part of today working on a presentation I will be doing next month in Indianapolis. The topic is ‘The Next Generation of Production Systems’. As I worked on this topic, I thought about how the world of pork … Continue reading
This week I have had calls and conversations with producers from several locations in the Midwest regarding pits foaming thru the slats. While I’ve had an occasional call or conversation with a producer regarding the phenomenon in past years, the … Continue reading
Last week Statistics Canada released its estimates of the October 1 Canadian pig inventory. At the same time, USDA and Statistics Canada released a joint report estimating the combined inventories using the September 1, 2008 USDA estimates for US inventories. … Continue reading
I have just returned from participation in the fall meeting of the Ontario Association of Swine Veterinarians. A great group of swine professionals who are very worried about the future of the swine industry in Ontario. Challenges in Ontario include … Continue reading
Here in southern Minnesota, the corn harvest is in full swing. This morning on the local radio station’s farm show, seed corn representatives were citing test plot yields of 220+ bu/acre. Given the many weather challenges of this growing year, … Continue reading
With propane at $2/gallon, many producers have begun inserting ‘Tekfoil’ or similar materials between the bird netting and emergency drop curtains in cold weather. The question that needs to be asked – how tight can these emergency drop curtains be … Continue reading