Pork producer’s biofuel problems “globalâ€
The impact of surging demand for biofuels on feed prices is a key factor behind the downturn of the American pork industry, a US expert told the Pan Pacific Pork conference at the Gold Coast, Australia last week.
“Feed costs are doubling and it is costing US$122 to feed a single pig,” said Dr Dean Boyd from the Hanor Family of Companies in the US. “By 2009, 40pc of the American corn crop will be mandated to the biofuel market.”
The demand for crops to be used as fuel is driving up feed costs for pork producers and pushing the smaller operators out of the industry. Boyd believes while Australia is yet to suffer quite as harshly as the American pork industry, the global growers are “all in this together” and need to tackle it as a global problem.
Boyd predicted that over the next 10 years the world would see a 10pc decrease in the pork industry.
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The demand for crops to be used as fuel is driving up feed costs for pork producers and pushing the smaller operators out of the industry. Boyd believes while Australia is yet to suffer quite as harshly as the American pork industry, the global growers are “all in this together” and need to tackle it as a global problem.
Boyd predicted that over the next 10 years the world would see a 10pc decrease in the pork industry.
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