The ongoing debate on "Food vs. Fuel" that has surrounded the implementation of the 2007 corn-based ethanol blending mandates (the RFS) has centered on the increasing cost of feedstuffs. The debate seems to assume that higher feed costs and food prices are simply passed along to consumers. Largely ignored in the debate has been the effect of increased use of corn for ethanol production on production, and consumption, of meat and poultry. The post-2006 record on U.S. meat and poultry consumption reveals that the economic impact of increased ethanol production goes far beyond higher feed costs and meat prices. In fact, the effects on value of lost meat and poultry production may be at least as great as feed cost increases, and has caused harm to the U.S. economy. Read More 

A new heat recovery system for poultry litter may hold some promise for energy cost control for Maryland farmers – and may even reap environmental benefits.

In a nutshell, the heat recovery system in use at Cottage Hill Farm takes the heat the litter generates while composting and transfers it into the chicken houses, reducing the amount of propane normally used to warm the barns.  Read More

Instead of an early snowfall this time of year, farmers along the eastern seaboard are dealing with flood waters and wind damage from Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to affect everything from poultry production to grocery prices. In Maryland and Delaware, states ranked in the top 15 in young meat chicken production, the storm’s aftermath could cause a domino effect, with power outages, transportation disruptions, and a potential lack of feed having a life-threatening result on poultry flocks.  With Mississippi among the top five states in poultry production, professors such as Mary Beck, poultry science department head at Mississippi State University, are no strangers to how storms can influence the poultry market. Read More

As Hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast, meat and poultry companies are preparing to ride out a massive and life-threatening storm. Hurricane Sandy is forecast to make landfall the night of Oct. 29, bringing with it sustained tropical storm-force winds, historic surge levels and heavy snowfall in the Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service. Hurricane Sandy’s impact was being felt in livestock futures before the storm made landfall as the market prepared for potential disruptions caused by the massive storm. Analysts were anticipating the storm would cause shipment delays to the East Coast and impact customer demand for meat. Meat and poultry processors in the Northeast could face downtime due to severe weather, according to news reports.  Read More

The long-running multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to live poultry now appears to be over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all, 195 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Lille were reported from 27 states, including two deaths.  The illnesses began surfacing last March. Of the known cases, 34 percent of those ill were hospitalized and 33 percent of those ill were children 10 years of age or younger. Two deaths were reported, but CDC did not note the ages of the victims. Read More  

California voters sent a clear message four years ago when they overwhelmingly approved Proposition 2, a ballot measure banning the "cruel confinement" of certain types of farm animals. What’s followed has been nothing but confusion, complain commercial egg farmers. They’re seeking certainty on what kind of enclosures for the state’s 20 million laying hens will be considered legal under the law. Read More

Halloween officially starts the holiday season, which means more get togethers with family and friends and more festive meals prepared at home. But lots of people and little time can create opportunities for mishandling and improper cooking of raw food products. It is always important to consistently follow certain safe food handling practices, whether making a meal for yourself or your family or preparing a feast for 12. That’s because all raw agricultural products – whether its produce, fruit, meat, or poultry – could contain bacteria that might make someone sick. Read More

Now that much of the nation’s corn has been harvested and the impact of this year’s drought is clear, analysts say demand rather than supply will drive the feed market, and prices could potentially move lower to gauge where buying interests may be.  Any kind of price relief would be welcomed by California livestock farmers, who saw feed prices soar to record levels this summer as scorching heat and parched conditions withered crops in the Corn Belt.  The state’s dairy farmers, particularly, have been hit hard. Many of them were already struggling with financial problems brought on earlier by the recession and the milk price collapse in 2009. Skyrocketing feed costs have added to their plight, with a growing number of producers reportedly closing their doors and filing bankruptcy. Read More