I actually was referring to feed corn, thinking that the price of it was still causing livestock reductions and the resulting inflation of the price of meat.
With this much excess corn, why is there a reduced beef herd? The price of meat is outrageous. I am considering only eating the meat that I kill myself if it keeps going in this direction.
I don’t raise cattle, but live among those who do.
My understanding is 1) since cattle graze most of their lives, supplemented with feed, some of which comes from the leftovers of ethanol production, drought has impacted the herd more than ethanol. 2) Cattle are corn fed near the end of their lives before slaughter. I think the corn is, again, mixed with hay (drought-impacted)and the feedstock left after ethanol production.
I know that feeder calves are very expensive. I guess this is just a consequence of a smaller overall herd.
Here in farm country, we can buy directly from the producer, The local stores have sales of whole muscle cuts from local producers every 5-6 months, at significant savings. I buy maybe 30-35 pounds of top sirloin and NY strip for around $100-$150 at these sales and portion it myself. We still eat steak and roast far less than we used to. I buy sale meat for other dishes and often grind my own beef from these sale cuts ($3-$4)pound. I also mix it 1/2 & 1/2 w/venison to stretch the beef.
So, I think drought has had more of an influence than the price of feed corn. Perhaps the grazing regulations out West have had a big impact, as well.
Chicken and pigs also eat corn and there have been widespread diseases among both, cutting supply. Regulations have tightened on big chicken and pig operations, as well, making production more expensive. I raised chickens back in the day. Even then (1970s/80s)it cost me 4x more for home-raised birds than store bought.
Then, there is the impact of the costs of butchering, packing and transportation. Even in farm towns, locker meat (locally produced and butchered) is up over $1 a pound over a couple of years ago.
Butter, of course, is through the roof, as well. $4-$5/lb is not unusual. I buy 4 pounds for under $13 at Sam’s, which is the cheapest around here and those are summer prices.
A local vet mentioned that the paperwork and time involved to move live animals is also exorbitant. So, I would add regulations in general to the cost increases. And don’t forget the cost of fuel for every aspect of production.
80 acre dairy farms, with lots of equipment and infrastructure and a house sell around here for $400k and are on the market a long time. No one really wants to get into traditional farming, as the margins are tight. I see farm families at the supermarket and if they have 3 or more kids, their grocery bills, excluding meat, are very high. Many are on WIC and food stamps.
My area attracts the lefty organic farmers. A few old timers do well because of savvy marketing. They employ legal green card Mexicans who are sent home every Fall. The farmers must provide travel from Mexico and back, housing and one-two large meals a day while here and I gather it is expensive, but young Americans will not do this work and that includes working the organic veggie farms. Most of the start up organic veggie farmers go broke. There are scads of regulations involved, as well. The Americans who do work on farms are a PITA who think they should be the boss,not the field hand. The don’t show up, they don’t work hard and they will quit just before harvest. The reduced growing season has impacted tomatoes and peppers, too. This year, the cold summer meant fewer ripened fruits and the tomatoes were below average in taste