Corn conundrum: Feeders offer their coping strategies in the face of premium-priced grain

摘要

Fedyard managers have been scratching their heads for everal months now, trying to figure out how to deal rith higher corn prices. Trouble is, about the only thing they've accomplished is to increase the circumference of their "worry spot." "It's beenquite a struggle," admits Brian Price, manager at Brookover Feedyard, Garden City, KS. "It's hard to know exactly what to do." Price says he's adjusted by owning more corn out ahead of his needs. "Usually in this area, we've never had to own corn much more than 60 or 90 days ahead. Now, we probably own corn from now to the end of the year, in certain amounts." Price says he's tried to look at what would make a reasonable cost of gain and then own the corn. "But it's changed the way we're looking at owning corn; quite frankly, it's changed it pretty dramatically."