Will up corn, down horn be an inevitable consequence of the current grain price spike?

THE MUCH talked about spike in grain prices will bring welcome relief to an arable sector which has endured a turgid time these past couple of years.
The very nature of the farming beast, however, means that the cereal sector’s gain is the livestock producer’s pain.
In an ideal world, the much needed boost to grain prices would mean that the increased costs of the more intensive livestock producers of pigs, poultry, dairy and beef finishers would get their increased costs recouped from the marketplace.
But if that is to happen to any significant degree, the livestock industry must lobby hard and be prepared to play hard ball with the myriad of buyers of farm produce.
Otherwise, it is going to be a long hard winter for producers as, in particuilar, dairy and suckler cow herd owners give up the uneven struggle and throw in the towel.