Special Report

Feed availability a major concern

The National Pork Producers Council is renewing its call for USDA to help corn end users develop a feed rationing plan, to be implemented in the event of a short crop in 2011.

Minnesota producer and NPPC director Randy Spronk says the late planting and flooding in many parts of the country have heightened their concerns.

“If we don’t have over 90 million acres—and if we don’t have trendline yields—we do have an issue,” Spronk says. “There is a lot of demand out there—and somehow or another, we need a plan to be able to ration that crop. 

“We just have a genuine concern for our animals that we need feed availability.”

Spronk says there could be regional spot shortages of corn this summer—but he says they are just as concerned about 2012 supplies.

“We’ve not only got this crop year that we’re barely going to make it.  We’re also anticipating the next one here,” he says. “So we’re kind of back-to-back in a very precarious postion—that we need a real good crop.”

AUDIO: Randy Spronk (1 min MP3)