Producers turn to maize to beat rising feed costs

摘要

Dairy and beef producers are relying more on home-grown forage than five-years ago to try and offset rising feed costs, results from a national survey suggest. The National Maize Survey conducted by the Maize Growers Association, British Grassland Society and forage specialists Grainseed this year found total maize acreage a farm had increased from 60 acres in 2006 to 78 acres in 2011, with 53% of producers increasing their maize to forage ratio in the past five years alone. Seventy per cent of producers also believed the optimum maize to grass forage ratio to be more than 50:50 in favour of maize, a move Grainseed's James Todd believes has been driven by rising cereal prices.