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As we drove back from the World Pork Expo in Des Moines last week, the Nutra-Flo crew was surprised to see the extent of flooded crop lands along Interstate 35.  Large amounts of standing water and many washed out fields meant nothing but trouble for the largest, most productive corn (maize) producing region in the world.

Remembering the floods of 1993 , I knew that this meant higher prices would be right around the corner for grain.  The commodity markets did respond, and record corn prices once again show the precarious position we are currently witnessing: high demand and low inventories.  

This is bad news for livestock producers; beef prices in Japan have already risen due to the spike in input costs.  This is bad news for ethanol producers as well.