When Dereke Dunkirk says what’s on his mind, it’s the heat. When we talked, he was relieved for a break in the beastly six weeks that had preceded our conversation.
“That’s probably slowed feed intake down quite a bit on the animals,” Dunkirk, Illinois Pork Producers Association President, told Brownfield Ag News, during the Illinois State Fair. “Of course, when they get hot that puts a little extra stress on them and they don’t eat as well.”
The other consequence of the heat is its effect on the crop; the other thing on Dunkirk’s mind. That, he says, has producers worrying about feed availability into 2013. He is particularly grateful that strong exports have resulted in a high hog market to counter the cost of feed.
AUDIO: Dereke Dunkirk (3 min. MP3)
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