High corn price mean pigs eat candy bars, french fries
mongabay.com
May 20, 2007
Near record high prices for corn mean that farmers are feeding their pigs “people food” according to an article in The Wall Street Journal.
With demand for ethanol booming, American farmers are facing a dilemma when it comes to feeding their livestock. The Wall Street Journal, reports that some farmers are increasingly relying on food waste to feed their animals.
“Besides trail mix, pigs and cattle are downing cookies, licorice, cheese curls, candy bars, french fries, frosted wheat cereal and peanut-butter cups. Some farmers mix chocolate powder with cereal and feed it to baby pigs,” writes Lauren Etter. “California farmers are feeding farm animals grape-skins from vineyards and lemon-pulp from citrus groves. Cattle ranchers in spud-rich Idaho are buying truckloads of uncooked french fries, Tater Tots and hash browns.”
“In Pennsylvania, farmers are turning to candy bars and snack foods because of the many food manufacturers nearby. Hershey Co. sells farmers waste cocoa and the trimmings from wafers that go into its Kit Kat bars. At Nissin Foods, maker of Top Ramen and Cup Noodles, farmers drive to a Lancaster, Pa., factory and load up on scraps of the squiggly dried noodles, which pile up in bins beneath the assembly line,” she continues.
Lauren Etter (2007). “With Corn Prices Rising, Pigs Switch To Fatty Snacks” The Wall Street Journal. May 21, 2007