WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Hog producers may actually be helped by the current recession because of lower feed costs, said a Purdue University Extension marketing specialist.

Back into profitability

“Lower costs in combination with smaller pork supplies in 2009 could be the combination that puts the industry back into profitability,” said Chris Hurt. “Hog prices may […]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the largest energy company in Latin America, are working together to accelerate the development and international commercialization of biofuels.
The announcement was made Nov. 20 at the International Biofuels Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“By bringing Brazilian expertise together […]

DENVER, Colo. — While economic caution flags are flying as we enter the final quarter of 2008, both U.S. beef and pork export levels continued to exceed expectations through the first nine months of the year.
U.S. pork exports built on the record set in August, skyrocketing 61 percent in September over totals from a […]

WASHINGTON — A new approach is needed in world trade talks, considering the stalled Doha round of negotiations, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Federation president Bob Stallman said the organization will shortly begin discussions with domestic and international business and trade leaders in an effort to find a new way to move forward. […]

Ten or fewer acres? Sign up until Nov. 26 in direct counter-cyclical payment program.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Agriculture in the United States is caught in the web of uncertainty being created by the financial crisis of 2008.
The cattle industry is no exception, as both domestic and foreign demand for beef is related to consumer incomes, according to Chris Hurt, an Extension economist at Purdue University.
Where the U.S. and […]

TUCSON, Ariz. — Limited credit availability, volatile currency exchange rates and global economic uncertainty will create an uphill climb for U.S. beef and pork exports in many foreign markets for the remainder of the year.
This was the common theme provided by directors of the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s international offices at the federation’s […]

URBANA, Ill. — A recovery in corn and soybean prices over the next six months is generally expected, making ownership of the crops beyond harvest prudent, said a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.
“The current price structure in the corn and soybean markets suggests holding physical inventory is the preferred way of owning corn, […]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released a corrected U.S. Crop Production report Oct. 28.

Supply and demand

The department also issued an abbreviated global supply and demand report to reflect the revisions and is now projecting the 2008/2009 corn harvest at 12.03 billion bushels, down 167 million bushels from the […]

URBANA, Ill. — Nervous cattle producers have received a bit of advice from a Purdue University Extension marketing specialist — don’t panic.
“Odds favor a recession and not a depression,” said Chris Hurt in a report distributed by University of Illinois Extension.
“Understanding the magnitude of the recession is becoming easier as the impacts of […]