Philip's father was continually fighting higher feed prices, disease among his stock and the growing intrusion of large fanning combines.
Higher feed prices can initially drive meat prices down as animals that become too expensive to feed are killed, adding to supplies.
Oddly, livestock prices, which usually decline when feed prices go up, made moderate gains.
This rule is not absolute, however, as producers in both regions will alter the mix of feed grains according to changes in feed prices.
Current feed prices indicate minimal availability and are anticipated to increase over-winter.
Because animal feed prices have indeed gone up considerably recently and they will do so even more if we continue to take that attitude.
On the one hand, farmers are being paid lower prices by consumers, while on the other, they are faced with major fluctuations in feed prices.
These very high production costs are directly related to high feed prices and our dependency on third countries for our cereals and protein plants.
Today, we are discussing a sector that does not receive aid from the common agricultural policy and is suffering due to increased feed prices.
But starting last year, consolidation reduced industry capacity, pushing up retail prices; meanwhile, the producers' feed prices declined.