GLG News by Council Members Knowledgeable on Animal Feed

More countries are producing growing quantities of genetically modified (GMO) soybeans and corn. As prices of foods climbs, countries around the world are being forced to recognize that these crops are safe and cheaper. Will the EU join the crowd?

Ethanol is headed for a slowdown and consolidations, but will emerge stronger and more efficient. Cash corn near $3.05 and ethanol near $1.58 per gallon leaves a profit margin of only a few cents per bushel. Corn prices will fall as ethanol plants slow consumption, but weather...

With current prices for soybeans, biodiesel's primary feedstock, its economic viability is questionable. With soybean oil selling for near $0.40 per pound, costs to produce soy-based biodiesel are running $3.20-$3.30 per gallon, at or slightly above current prices for diesel of $3.00-$3.10. The Federal...

Brazil’s complaint, originally filed in July, now includes a challenge on the payments for “energy subsidies”—ie: ethanol’s $0.51 per gallon subsidy, and the biodiesel blending credit. The US says it considers those “industrial” subsidies, and not a part of this WTO discussion Brazil has already won...

Multinationals like ADM will enter the Brazilian sector, but should they do it now? Overoptimism in Brazil's sugar sector will lead to overpricing of assets The Brazilian sugar sector may be headed for a correction.

It appears that Congress may, yet again, renew many of the provisions in the 2002 program…pushing the issue of true reforms to be  played out in the courts of the WTO.  The US will eventually be forced to "level the playing field" on these issues, and it may be forced on the farm sector at...

Brazil's landless social action movement remains a risk for both domestic and international agricultural businesses in Brazil.   The MST's unhappiness with their efforts, to date, to work politically through the Lula administration, creates the risk of additional social actions by the organization....

Toying with dealer-customer relationships is always a tricky matter, but as agricultural producers in the US get bigger, makers and sellers of farm machinery have to evolve, in order to be able to serve their customer's changing needs.  Farm numbers falling Numbers of farms in the US continues...

NH3, or Anhydrous Ammonia, is the primary source, for nitrogen, a key input for farmers in the production of corn. Domestic production of NH3 is down by 44% over past 4 years due to lower margins.  Imports are up 115 % over the same period.  Prices paid by farmers have increased by 129% over...

The potential to increase revenues by finding, or creating new uses for by-products is real, and potentially significant.  However, past experiences indicate that trying to "push" new products onto the market is much harder than letting demand "pull" them in...and is made even more difficult by...