Last week in Nashville covering the Commodity Classic, a combination of Corn, Soybean and Wheat Growers the talk was two 4-letter words “farm bill”. Three weeks earlier in Reno at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention conversations centered around one 4-letter word “corn”.
The higher, higher price for corn has doubled in the last year and it has gotten the attention of livestock
feeders and also the cow-calf producer. As you talk with corn growers they don’t hesitate in reminding you they have been subsidizing the livestock industry with low priced, $2 corn in past years.
Yes, input costs have climbed considerably for corn growers. With record high prices for corn, soybeans and wheat, producers are enjoying the ride, but are concerned about what might happen down the road. And they are pushing for completion of the ‘07 Farm Bill with some level of price protection. This is something we don’t count on when we bred our cows. Corn growers want some price assurance before they plant, even with a booming market thanks mostly to rapidly increased usage and acceptance of ethanol.
As we say here in the West, “hang on to the saddle horn”.