economics

SwineCast 0689 Show Notes:

• Strong balance sheet and a good business plan opens lender doors, according to Paul DeBriyn, President and CEO of AgStar Financial.

Dr. Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics, provided an update on the state of the meat and poultry markets. His main take away is that the demand continued to struggle late 2011.

The bad news is that these "annual" numbers for 2011 have been getting worse and worse as the year has progressed.

Steve reminds us that the indexes only describe how demand is changing, not why a change is occurring. He believes consumer incomes and spending was the major negative force in the domestic market in 2011.

Charts below from Paragon Economics, using USDA data.

SwineCast 0679 Show Notes:

• Great turnout at the Midwest Pork Conference near Indianapolis.  Dr. Steve Meyers also had a full room as he considered the big picture and potential risks for producers.

Coming up in January are two main pork industry events.

The Minnesota Pork Congress is January 18-19 in Minneapolis, MN. Of note: The pre-congress ventilation seminar on January 17, the keynote January 18 featuring Haydn Shaw on Leading Across Generations, and the Pork Congress trade show January 18 and 19.

The 2012 Iowa Pork Congress, January 25-26, in Des Moines, Iowa offers insight and observations on the swine production, economics, and legislative activities. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with the presentation experts and discover more on the trade show floor.

SwineCast 0678 Show Notes:

• A recent conversation with Terry Feldheim of the Farm Credit Service of America highlights the support underpinning land prices at these levels.