and the drought centered in the heartland, in prime growing areas
Politics in the Zeros
"A republic, if you can keep it." Defeat MAGA
Politics in the Zeros
"A republic, if you can keep it." Defeat MAGA
Last year’s drought and floods, combined with increased global demand (China tried to buy all the 2nd cutting alfalfa in our area while Kuwait was also bidding) drove alfalfa prices from $90 per ton two years ago to as high as $380 a ton last year. Corn meanwhile rose from $7 for 50-pounds a couple of years ago to as high as $18 – and as crops have recovered, prices for feed have hovered in the $14-16 range. Now it’s projected to go up again. If you think that doesn’t have an effect on food prices, think again! As a cheese maker, feed (primarily alfalfa) is our 2nd biggest expense after labor. Meat, dairy, grain products (bread etc.), and sweets can all be expected to rise due to severe weather conditions.
Incidentally, this year’s monsoon came early here, right in the middle of the 2nd alfalfa cutting. Hay growers are still waiting for it to dry so they can bale it, but it’s not looking very good. There’s a lot of black hay lying in fields around here, so Utah probably won’t be able to take up any slack this year.