Pig farmers are locking in longer-term wheat deals as they shift their feed mixes to compensate for lower corn supplies, according to reports.
Producers initially resisted the switch, which is usually a temporary adjustment in the summer months after the U.S. winter wheat harvest. "We are going to continue feeding (wheat) so we can stretch the corn crop through the whole season," said Tim Thomas, an independent pig producer in Timberlake, N.C. "I think (corn) availability is going to be an issue this coming year, as well." A combination of high corn prices and low supplies swayed livestock producers to wheat, they said.
