June 11, 2008

US pork producers understand ethanol not only cause for difficulties
   
  

During the World Pork Expo in Des Moines last week, pork producers outlined their understanding that ethanol is not the main and only cause for their business difficulties.
 

The global demand for grain, total energy price crisis and worldwide grain shortage have all played a role and they won't be blaming any particular one, according to Bryan Black, president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

The NPPC has established a new task force to look at new feed alternatives to help pork producers to handle rising cost of corn and soymeal, the primary source of feed for pigs.

The US produced 13 billion bushels of corn and despite large amounts going to ethanol, more corn are fed to livestock than in recent years and the market for both feed and ethanol had managed to grow, said Chuck Conner, deputy agriculture secretary.

The USDA is purchasing pork for food assistance programmes, which helps both the pork industry and the needy.

The USDA would also open some Conservation Reserve Programme acreage to haying and grazing, which would benefit cattle producers directly but also indirectly benefits pig producers by increasing the amount of feed available to the livestock industry, Conner said.