feed

     The seats were still warm on the Board of Governors chairs at the FED as they arose to announce their last interest rate cut this month when the DOW plummeted over 200 points.  The past two cuts were met with at least momentarily rising markets but now the expectation is that the FED will need to be much more aggressive in 2008, perhaps one large interest rate cut or two moderate ones to stem the tide of the economic slow down which seems to be appearing (but has not actually arrived in any benchmark statistics yet)..

     Explaining the big drop, commentators pointed out the huge role expectations have in markets.  If you expect more and bigger cuts, these incremental quarter and half percent moves are just delays in the inevitable and investing will have to wait until the big one comes (and lowers the cost of investing even more).  This is the same pattern that is well documented in inflationary times.  If you expect prices to rise, you buy now and that drives up the cost of goods.  If you expect prices to fall, you delay purchases and collectively, that results in a price decline to move building inventory.

SwineCast 0224 Show Notes:

• FMD break in U.K. possibly sourced to lab
• Corn condos for off-farm storage
• Canadian Pork Council says COOL hinders effort to develop North American industry relations
• Antioxidants for oinkers. Don Mahan's research at Ohio State. Additional Information

SwineCast 0223 Show Notes:

• John Wargowski with MAAHS provides an update on the probable implementation of rules that can affect your immigrant workers
• American Feed Industry Association looks at the changes in regulations which may affect your feeding operation
• Wisco

SwineCast 0217 Show Notes:

• Whole Foods sowing Wild Oats
• AFIA review of melamine issue from feed manufacturer's perspective
• SKOV Air Systems manages indoor environment
• Manitoba Clean Environment Commission member talks about issues facing livestock producers in that province
• E. Coli interventions showing positive response.