CNN story about food prices

[james weatherford]

quote:

---

Originally posted by EightFingers

"...The farmer can take his corn and feed to livestock ..."
This is rarely done any more, most beef is grass fed. Corn as well as other grains are being used more and more to make ethanol.

---

Not really accurate, or even close enough. If I may, please.

While more and more corn is going to ethanol (~20% in 2007), feed for livestock is still the major market for corn and for some other grains.
Some (IMHO, not nearly enough) beef is produced on grass.
Most beef (espec Grade A Choice) and almost all milk is produced using grain, corn being the main one; [espec soft red] wheat; and barley and grain sorghum are also fed to dairy and beef cattle, hogs, and poultry.
Almost all pork and virtually all eggs in standard retail markets rely on corn and soybean meal. Fishmeal is also used as a protein supplement, espec in poultry, pig, and dairy feed.
Fish feed also has grain (farm-raised catfish is a booming business).

+++
For the Google-happy, try these:
cattle-price-cycle;
hog-price-cycle;
steer:corn ratio;
hog:corn ratio;
grass-fed beef;
forage-based dairy...


James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park