mbox-30: hogs:You didn't hear it from me.

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For all the anti confinement hog fans, the sentiment on the street in =
the hog industry now is that you wouldn't get much opposition to a =
moratorium or ban on new barns(financially and verbally--most hog =
farmers are willing to try most anything now.). Just a thought and you =
didn't hear it from me. Actually, just banning captive =
supplies(contracted hogs and packer owned hogs) would straighten the =
industry out and would allow the independents to compete on a level =
playing field. I know that it can be documented that larger operations =
are no more efficient. The next person that publicly states that what =
is going on out here is "going on throughout agriculture as it is going =
on in all segments of the economy is simple to figure out--efficiency =
and cost reduction" is going to get a loud BULL SH*T from me even if its =
in Public. Its about greed--plain and simple. We are at the end of an =
era of independent hog producers because of greed. They can't beat my =
cost of production. They have there work cut out still to beat my =
determination. I wish I could say all hog producers felt that way. =
Unfortunately most are confinement operations that started losing money =
a lot sooner than we did and will probably continue to lose money all =
next year. I made a couple phone calls yesterday trying to get some =
lawyers to look at the Packer and Stockyard Act to see if what is going =
on is illegal. We are losing $42/pig today on the pigs we will sell. =
We are lucky(?) in that our costs are about $25 less than the industry =
average. Its starting to look very bleak. So much for thinking I had a =
hog production system that stays out of the red 10 years out of 10. Its =
no longer about maximising profit. Its now about hopefully being one of =
the survivors. I'm still looking for the silver lining!
Best wishes,
Greg
Gunthorp's Pasture-ized Pork
LaGrange, Indiana (a stones throw from Ohio & Michigan)
hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com
visit our farm at www.grassfarmer.com

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For all the anti confinement hog = fans, the=20 sentiment on the street in the hog industry now is that you wouldn't get = much=20 opposition to a moratorium or ban on new barns(financially and = verbally--most=20 hog farmers are willing to try most anything now.). Just a thought = and you=20 didn't hear it from me. Actually, just banning captive = supplies(contracted=20 hogs and packer owned hogs) would straighten the industry out and would = allow=20 the independents to compete on a level playing field. I know that = it can=20 be documented that larger operations are no more efficient. The = next=20 person that publicly states that what is going on out here is = "going on=20 throughout agriculture as it is going on in all segments of the economy = is=20 simple to figure out--efficiency and cost reduction" is going to = get a loud=20 BULL SH*T from me even if its in Public. Its about greed--plain = and=20 simple. We are at the end of an era of independent hog producers = because=20 of greed. They can't beat my cost of production. They have = there=20 work cut out still to beat my determination. I wish I could say = all hog=20 producers felt that way. Unfortunately most are confinement = operations=20 that started losing money a lot sooner than we did and will probably = continue to=20 lose money all next year. I made a couple phone calls = yesterday=20 trying to get some lawyers to look at the Packer and Stockyard Act to = see if=20 what is going on is illegal. We are losing $42/pig today on the = pigs we=20 will sell. We are lucky(?) in that our costs are about $25 less = than the=20 industry average. Its starting to look very bleak. So much = for=20 thinking I had a hog production system that stays out of the red 10 = years out of=20 10. Its no longer about maximising profit. Its now about = hopefully=20 being one of the survivors. I'm still looking for the silver=20 lining!