Ethanol Production Continues & Spike in Pork

Ethanol Production Continues & Spike in Pork plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Shayle Shagam, USDA livestock analyst, says that disease outbreaks in Chinese pig population and the Olympics caused a spike in purchases of U.S. pork, but even without those factors, China represents a growing market for pork. 

SHAGAM: In 2005 and 2006 we basically exported about 123-million pounds and 112-million pounds respectively, now there’s probably some increase that took place in 2007 ahead of all the disease outbreaks and definitely in 2008 simply because of improved diet, improved travel. There’s probably a need for increased need for some higher quality pork and the U.S. represented a good market for that product.

According to the Energy Information Administration - U.S. ethanol production in August was virtually unchanged from July at 727,500 barrels per day. That is up 80-thousand from a year ago. Demand - the Renewable Fuels Association calculates - is still ahead of production. RFA shows demand at 734-thousand barrels per day in August - an increase from 661-thousand one year ago. EIA reports fuel ethanol imports of 38.7-million gallons.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

I have to admit when it comes to weather forecasting it’s all Greek to me, or in this case, Spanish. I’m talking of course about the forecast of El Nino on the way over the next few months. Farmers in California and the drought plagued southern parts of the nation are hoping this means more moisture coming their way. Here in the Pacific Northwest though weather forecasters are predicting El Nino will bring a drier winter, but they’re also quick to point out that this forecast doesn’t necessarily mean that it “will” be dry, it just means there’s a better chance that it “could” be dry. So what they’re really saying is that there’s a fifty/fifty chance of this forecast being correct; which is pretty much the norm for predicting weather patterns. I’m kind of an old fashioned girl when it comes to things like the weather; if I get up in the morning and the ground is wet it probably means I need my umbrella. But then I was raised in Kansa where you could experience rain, sleet, snow and sunshine all between your house and your mailbox. Guess when it comes to the weather we can take our cue from the pros and just wait and see.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.