Posted on 06/06/2008 2:30:10 PM PDT by Principled
First electricity rates jumped, now gasoline prices are galloping up, and the next sticker shock could be chicken prices, which are likely to go up at least 10 percent by the summer.
That’s what James Perdue, chairman of the East Coast’s largest poultry company, told members of the Maryland Economic Development Association on Tuesday morning.
The culprit is the rising price of corn, which is the main source of chicken feed. More than a third of all corn is going to produce ethanol, a fuel added to or used instead of gasoline.
“We’ve got to feed those chickens,” Perdue said.
He noted that Tyson Foods, the nation’s largest poultry firm, announced in April a second-quarter loss. Because Perdue Farms is privately held, the company doesn’t report its finances, he said. “It’s very difficult to make money” in this environment. “You’ve got to raise prices.”
The three-state Delmarva Peninsula — the center of the East’s chicken industry — already had higher prices than operations in the South and Midwest, and was facing other challenges, including the loss of 1,000 independent chicken farmers since 1995.
Corn is the basis of 40 percent of the food in the United States, Perdue pointed out, raising prices on other commodities, such as sweeteners.
“The losers in this are going to be the consumers,” Perdue said. “I have no idea how people on fixed incomes are going to pay for food.”
Perdue told The Examiner that prices for chickens “are going to have to go up 10 percent,” but he couldn’t estimate how much higher they might go.
“Tell me what the price of corn is going to be,” he said. “We’re in new territory.”
Perdue also described his company’s efforts to help the industry become more environmentally friendly, by reducing water usage and by processing 75,000 tons of chicken litter into organic fertilizer that the firm is selling to Scott’s and more than 100 golf courses.
Next, they'll create a run on water?
How about just drill in Alaska or the Gulf for crying out loud. This is stupid.
BTW I did search, nothing showed up: http://tinyurl.com/52x6sr
Ok. Mom & Dad have 6 acres. Looks like the family will be building a couple of chicken coops this summer and maybe a pig pen while we’re at it.
You know, just a few years ago if the U.S. had lost one third of it’s corn harvest to _________ whatever, that would have been called an unprecedented disaster and a national emergency would be declared to fix the problem.
I bet if the price of chicken does rise, there will be many who try to blame it on immigration raids.
But I agree, this is stupid.
It looks as though we “seniors” are going to have to decide between prescription drugs, gas or KFC this summer.
That would be nice, cause my hubby and I raise chickens and also for Purdue....
Thank you Congress and Dubya for this because of ethanol.
So let's declare an emergency and start holding back on fuel consumption and start using foreign oil first, so our own reserves are the last to go...
...instead of just using up our own reserves first and making the emergency unavoidable...?
“Chicken prices could rise 10 percent by summer”
Hey, if I was a chicken, knowing what was going to happen to me I’d want the money up front, too.
Farmers have been adding strained cooking grease to diesel for years in their John Deere tractor gas mix. Dairy, eggs, milk, butter is fresh and state certified organic (not easily accomplished); as well as the meats I buy. Bakery products are also organic based in make up and very creative.
Gardens are just in their initial growing season. Local strawberries, blueberries (sold by the roadside), cranberries. Fresh fish, lobster, any fruit de mar is plentiful. Coffee may be Equal Exchange Coffee, a Fair Trade organic coffee company. Even treats for dogs locally produced (seaweed for glucosime intake etc.) Grains are often milled within the state. Granolas containing nuts and dried fruits locally produced taking the place of box cereals.
Beers are from many local micro breweries. Even canned vegetables produced within the state like fiddle heads, new tomato pasta sauce company opening up nearby. Many families have made their own canned (and now frozen)fruits and vegetables for centuries. Pickles, relish, cheeses are locally produced and sold. Green grocer type stores (around for years now) are enlarging from popularity of local and tourist demand.
I believe in supporting local and state business owners. Farm stores plentiful and thriving. Cottage industry owners/entrepreneurs have made for a better tasting, much fresher and healthier product. I rarely stop at a Hannafords type chain corporate store, but they all have enlarged as well bringing on more "natural" locally or regionally produced products.
From a few packages of seeds, a garden you can grow anywhere whether in a tilled landscape or garden pots-depends on the needs of the grower.
The farmers in my state never got the government benefits $$$$ as the corporate farmers of the Midwest, so they carved out their own niche stateside and Internationally...very successfully, I might add.
We are currently at 60% importation of foreign crude right now and it is climbing. If we do not develop our own resources (explore, drill, nukes, bio-diesel, moderate temperature geothermal, etc) this country will collapse with the slightest hiccup in the world supply. Given that A-Q and crew are planning that very hiccup so to speak to take the course on NOT developing those domestic resources is being derelict to the security of this nation.
We have plenty of energy resources that could be coming on-line in a lot less than ten years if we simply get government and enviro-wacks out of the way. They have been in the way using the exact "reason" you just stated for thirty years which is most of the reason we are in the current situation. We have been "saving" our resources for the proverbial rainy day.
Guess what? It's pouring out there and tornados and hail are predicted.
Pro’ly just part of the reason Harry Reid moved to kill the “carbon tax” bill. It should be a slam dunk for the Republicans to recapture a majority in both houses if they would only tell the truth about what the Reid / Pelosi Congress has accomplished (done to us). The problem is that the top of the ticket goes along with those policies. That plus it takes stones and backbone, two items missing from our leadership it would appear.
Waht state do you live in?
Minorities and banquets hardest hit.
How much do you get per chicken or per pound from Perdue? I am just wondering how much markup there is from the farmer to the store.
Less cluck for your buck...
We make our own priorities, we suffer from our own "consumer" mentality. Consumer Supply and Demand drives the market.
Diesel is in high demand in Europe, so that has influenced the high Diesel prices in this country.
President Bush was always for sweet grass etc and not food based additives. But many laughed at the "sweet grass" comments he made early on. Plus, the President's home is green and has been way before it was popular to do so.
The paving of roads with asphalt is now costly so means to me on the bright side fewer long lines and tie ups this summer and better choice of what is to be fixed; not the ongoing paving and repaving of interstate roadways..Have you ever said, "haven't they been paving this road for years?"
"Dubya", I have a problem with as a disrespectful term coined by the Libs, they themselves certainly not recognized as the "safest and most trustworthy light bulbs" on the planet. ;)
And this too shall pass.
Maine now.
Got other problems govt wise but in this case is very enjoyable place to “eat”.
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