corn

The Diane Rehm Show brought together four experts on world economies and agriculture to address the current commodity prices and their impact on food, fuel, and fiber.

Corn production and demand are coming together to increase corn prices. This is great for corn growers but not great for those that depend on corn for animal feed. Adding ethanol into the mix again put corn in the middle of the food versus fuel debate.

Ethanol is consuming corn at a rate that is only 10 percent less than that of livestock and poultry demand. And more than one bushel of corn out of three produced in the US will be converted to ethanol in the current marketing year. That is going to cause concern about the amount of corn we will produce and whether it will be enough to meet demand with minimal rationing. And that causes concern for the traders.

Dr. Robert Wisner, University Professor Emeritus at Iowa State University, states "Corn supplies will be tight and some rationing of demand likely will be needed in the year ahead." This is not a great situation for those in animal agriculture without hedges and other risk mitigation actions in play.

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• Kansas State grain market economist, Dan O'Brien, looks ahead to the USDA's March 31st planting intentions report and the impact of this growing season on feed prices.

CropVillage 0191 Show Notes:

• Serious Gibberella mold on this year's crop puts producers in a harvest-time storage quandry.  What will you do when the 'strip test' is positive? 

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• Purdue's professor of plant pathology Dr. Charles Woloshuk discusses mold development in the field with suggestions to watch out for a recent reappearance of an old problem.

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• Iowa State's Roger Elmore discusses the crop progress in this important midwestern corn state.

CropVillage 0084 Show Notes:

• Dow product highlights 2008 Farm Progress Show... SureStart
• Precision spraying pays its own way quickly
• Corn Oil link still in place?
• Employee management... who's on your bus? Picking the right seats

CropVillage 0054 Show Notes:

• Illinois production cost review
• Purdue's Bob Neilsen considers corn after corn and special management concerns
• Management with Don Tyler... Managing employee conflicts