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There wa* tta tid lm g 

 room only when cat- 

 fle feeders turned oaf 

 for fhe annwof faN 

 ouflook meeting ■( 

 Afedo In Mercer coiHi* 

 ty. Form Adviser 

 Howard Hoynes sold 

 he never sow the half 

 so /om-packed for a 

 meeting of that 



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FORESEE 



Good Prices 



J. 



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By 



JIM 



THOMSON 



Ass't Editor, 

 lAA RECORD 



The three men who spoke to Mercer county farmert on the tattle 



feeding outlook for 1950 are left to right: Walter Howe, Chicago 



Producers; Harry Ruttell, College of Agriculture; and C. W. 



Mitchell, Illinois livestock Marketing Association. 



THERE'S still money in the feed- 

 ing business. So say a number 

 of men experienced in the ups and 

 downs of the livestock markets. 

 And they are optimistic about 

 the future. Few would predict what 

 will happen beyond six months from 

 now, but for the next six months the 

 general opinion was that prices would 

 hold steady. 



The general outlook for cattle feeders 

 was presented throughout the state last 

 month in the annual series of fall out- 

 look meetings sponsored by the College 

 of Agriculture, Illinois Agricultural As- 

 sociation, Producer Agencies, and 

 County Farm Bureaus. 



At the meeting at Aledo in Mercer 

 county Walter Howe of the Chicago 

 Producers Commission Association 

 said: "There is still a lot of apprehen- 

 sion among cattle men but the facts 

 show that there needn't be. We are a 

 nation of meat eaters. Demand for 

 meat is still heavy and the nation's 

 economy is still healthy. As long as 

 people have money to spend they are 

 going to buy plenty of meat." 



Reasons for the optimism were set 

 forth by Harry Russell of the College 

 of Agriculture as follows : 



1. The liquidation of business in- 

 ventories is about finished. 



2. There appears to be no foresee- 

 able decline in the capital expend- 

 iture program of business. I 



3. Private and public construction 

 programs are at record highs and are 

 expected to continue. 



4. Government spending will remain 

 high into the foreseeable future with 

 inflationary trends. 



5. Savings in the hands of the peo- 

 ple are high and will act as a cushion 

 at the first signs of deflation and un- 

 employment. 



6. Consumer incomes are still rel- 

 atively high. People have the buying 

 power for a generous meat diet. 

 Off'setting these favorable price fac- 

 tors, Russell pointed out that the nation 

 is carrying an all-time record supply 

 of corn in storage and has a tremendous 

 wheat carryover. This factor is further 

 aggravated by bumper crops of both 

 wheat and corn this year. The fall 

 pig crop will be 15 per cent higher 

 than a year ago and the export rate 

 on corn and other grains may not be 

 maintained at the high levels of the 

 past several years. 



Speaking on feed supplies, Russell 

 said there probably would be little 

 change in the supplies and prices of 

 protein supplements from last year. He 

 recommended that farmers cut their 

 protein feed costs by pasturing pigs on 

 ladino clover. 



Both Howe and Russell pointed out 

 that farmers were missing a good bet 

 in not feeding more lambs. "Sheep 



In 1950 



are going to be all right for the next 

 several years." Russell said. 



"We cattlemen," Howe added. "Feel 

 that lamb feeding is a good proposition. 

 More lamb is being consumed in the 

 Midwest than ever before. But before 

 you go into lamb feeding be sure you 

 know what you are doing. Not every- 

 one can feed and sell lambs profitably." 



Speaking as a representative of the 

 lAA-aff'iliated Hlinois Livestock Mar- 

 keting Association, C. W. Mitchell 

 pointed out that present storage stocks 

 of lard and pork are at record lows. 

 Earlier farrowing, he said, has leveled 

 off' the marketing period and hogs are 

 now being marketed at lighter weights. 



"With continued good judgement in 

 hog marketing," he said, "there is no 

 reason why prices of hogs should drop 

 to support levels. I would advise you 

 to market your hogs when they are 

 ready even if it means more often." 



Offering a suggestion which may or 

 may not meet the approval of hog 

 farmers, considering the tremendous 

 stocks of corn on hand, Russell recom- 

 mended that farmers raise the same 

 number of pigs in 1950 as they have 

 in 1949. "Don't govern your pig crop 

 by the amount of feed available," Rus- 

 sell said. 



Howe said that with feeding profit- 

 able there was a tremendous demand 

 for light stock feeder cattle, both calves 

 and yearlings, with a supoly to draw 

 from about the same as last year. 



In conclusion he told fanners to look 

 for several months of profitable prices, 

 but, he said, be cautious and stay in 

 the field you like best. If you keep 

 switching from one field to another you 

 may come to grief. 



OCTOBER. 1949 



II 



