Ethanol effect, cattle prices topics at weekend ranchers meeting

Ethanol effect, cattle prices topics at weekend ranchers meeting

Production of ethanol from corn may provide an alternative fuel source for Americans but it also may push up costs of cattle production.

Ethanol’s effect on feed prices was one of the topics discussed during the weekend meeting of the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association.

“As we move into ethanol production, which is very important to our row crop producers, it affects our feed prices over on our cattle producers,” John W. Barnett of the Louisiana AgCenter said. “Nothing is an independent, isolated event there in the world of agriculture, they’re all intermixed so much.”

No one is opposed to ethanol production, “it’s just something that you’re having to address,” he said.

Danny F. Coombs, also of the AgCenter, said other topics addressed included animal identification and foreign animal diseases plus the effect that the rising price of corn will have on cattle prices due to ethanol production.

Coombs said he believes there’s been a rebound of optimism since the hurricanes because of the rebuilding of herds in South Louisiana. “Unfortunately, we’re looking at some downward turn in the cattle prices, but there’s a lot of optimism in Louisiana cattlemen,” Coombs said.

Among Sunday’s speakers for the association’s general business session were Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom, LSU AgCenter chancellor Bill Richardson and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president-elect John Queen as well as American National Cattle Women’s president-elect Wendy Pettz and Louisiana Cattle Women’s president Genevieve Lyons.

Information from: Alexandria Daily Town Talk, http://www.thetowntalk.com

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