“One thing we’re seeing happening on the grain side is prices are being pulled up. I don’t know how much that is due to the infusion of cash from the government as opposed to other things, such as bad weather this summer in the Midwest and increased imports by China. But that will affect the cattle cycle because we’ve got feed prices that have increased significantly the past several months. That will affect decisions of whether folks decide to hang on to some inventory or let them go if it’s going to cost too much to keep them around.”
Cattle ID and other tracking efforts…
“The cattle producers I know are a very independent bunch. Nobody wants the government tracking who they are and where they are. I completely get that. At the same time, you’ve got a system where consumers want to know more about where their food came from… If you want to capture the value that is being created there, you may have to give up some of that autonomy and transparency. Maybe some people don’t want to do it, but for those that will and are, I think there is a market opportunity.”
Lusk’s complete talk and other presentations from this year’s K-State Cattlemen’s Day are available online at asi.ksu.edu/cattlemensday.
K State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Story by:
Pat Melgares
785-532-1160
[email protected]
