And this year the demand is for corn, corn and more corn. Ethanol Demand Has Unexpected Impact on Farmers and the Global Food Supply. And with ethanol production taking an increasing percentage of the corn crop, farmers are hard-pressed to meet the traditional demand for corn as a food stuff for human or animal consumption, even though the Agriculture Department predicts 15 percent more corn will be grown this year than last. In about two weeks, he'll be fanning out over several hundred...

China, the world's second-biggest corn producer, would aim for at least 26. The ministry would encourage farmers to plant high-yield corn breeds, improve planting techniques, fertilization and use more modern technology and machinery. China's corn consumption has risen rapidly in recent years, boosted by increasing demand for livestock and industrial use. Corn prices have risen sharply since 2006 as large amounts were brought up to produce ethanol against a backdrop of record international...

The cattle are vaccinated and wormed to help them ward off diseases and parasites while grazing the spring grass of Douglas County. Warm spring rain showers mixed with days of sunshine produce green forage full of valuable protein that puts weight on yearling cattle. Several thousand animals, known in the beef business as stocker cattle, dot the county s ranch lands through the winter and spring months. Cattle numbers have increased over the past 25 years because those animals are bigger...

oil company ConocoPhillips and meat products firm Tyson Foods inc. are planning to collaborate to produce biodiesel from animal fat, the companies announced Monday. He has been a critic of the government's policy in making available corn, which is mainly required as animal feed, to produce ethanol. Tyson, which is the world's largest meat products vendor, said it plans to make capital improvements at some of its plants so it can start pre-processing the animal fat. ConocoPhillips, the No 3...

With corn prices up, cattle farmers need to produce as much of their own cattle feed as possible, he said. Improved forage production is becoming more important to local farmers as they expand beef cattle production to replace the income lost from declining tobacco crops, Sears said. Madison County, which ranks fourth among Kentucky counties in beef production, is well suited for beef cattle production, he said. Incentives for improving facilities renovating pasture lands, protective heavy...

The weed is normally dumped on the bank, but it could be a good source for cattle feed. An underwater mower to tackle pest weeds in lakes and irrigation channels has been developed in Western Australia. Designer Len Harris says there is great potential to harvest weeds for cattle feed. It uses chaff cutter blades attached to a pontoon. Kimberley Environmental Solutions is trialling the prototype of the Aquatic Vegetation Groomer.

Salt useful to control cattle's intake levels Post Comment Salt, which is made up of sodium and chlorine, plays an important nutritional role in the diet of cattle, said Eldon Cole, livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension. Research and producer observations have not come up with any effect on fertility, calf crop percentage, weaning weight or animal appearance from high salt intakes," said Cole. Cole says one frequent question is whether or not this high salt intake will...

The production of corn for ethanol is causing the price of the staple to rise, in turn driving up the price of feed for livestock and reducing supplies of meat and poultry. Soda, Mexican food and other products that contain corn byproducts - such as the high-fructose corn syrup used in sodas - are also feeling the pinch, he said. While the most obvious effect is on beef prices because cattle are the largest animals and require the most feed, Latham said chicken and pork prices are rising...

The Agency imposed the movement restrictions on November 18, 2006, after a load of cattle feed ingredient suspected of containing a very small amount of meat and bone meal was reportedly distributed to two feed mills in Ontario and Quebec. The Agency is currently conducting further analysis at the feed mill and on farms to determine if any of these animals did not consume the feed of concern and can be excluded from movement controls. Information subsequently collected and validated has...