16 Quotes by Chris Hurt

Summer prices may be a bit discouraging this year having averaged above $50 for the past two years.

The National Weather Service is calling for intensification in that area and broadening of the drought into the central Plains and western Corn Belt by this spring.

Integrated hog operations tend to like to have their own feed-milling capacity. They tend to locate hogs generally within 50 to 60 miles of that feed mill.

Beef producers continued to expand the breeding herd for the second year. Beef cow numbers increased by 1 percent during 2005 after a small rise in 2004. The total number of cows increased by 338,000 head and the increase was concentrated in the western Corn Belt, where Missouri increased by 115,000 cows and Iowa by 40,000.

However, for hogs and poultry, the question is whether the increased price of corn will be offset by added value in the feed product that is returned. If not, this could mean some restructuring of the location of the U.S. and world animal industries. This appears to be particularly true for the eastern Corn Belt and the southeastern United States where hog, poultry and dairy are more dominant.

The current expansion is expected to extend until around 2010, with the largest beef production on this cycle coming in 2010 to 2012. This likely means several more years of favorable prices as cow slaughter remains low and heifer retention high.

The financial tide finally turned to black in the spring of 2004 and has been on a winning streak ever since.