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Impact of PEDv on corn
As the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus spreads, corn farmers are keeping an eye on what it might mean to corn as well as hog farms. Scott Hays is a hog producers and Missouri Corn Board member says hog producers affected by PEDv will be able to replace two to three percent of their loss by feeding pigs to a heavier weight.
Hays says corn demand nationally for pig feed could decline by as much as 100 million bushels due to PEDv. That’s projected to translate into a net reduction of pork supply by six to seven percent, “With so many uses for corn, you may not notice it so much in the marketplace but it still, locally, could make for some differences in demand.”
He says there are enough uses for corn in many areas, like ethanol plants in his area of Missouri… which can lessen the impact, “As always, growers just need to watch the market, be aware of things that are changing in the market. That’s just another factor. If they’re in an area where livestock production is the main use of corn they might want to pay a little more attention to the local basis.”
Hays stresses that PEDv does NOT affect humans but is devastating to hog farms with 100% mortality in pre-weaned pigs.
Although his farm hasn’t experienced it, Hays says two friends’ hog operations have had PEDv and “it sounds very similar to watching a corn crop burn up in a matter of days.”
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