fatty snacks!

From today’s WSJ (gated but a free preview is available) : "With Corn Prices Rising, Pigs Switch to Fatty Snacks".

This is a convoluted one, but I’ll give it a try. The US seeks "energy independence". Our government has decided corn based ethanol is the way to go and subsidizes gasoline made from it to the tune of around $0.50 per gallon. However, BRAZILIAN corn ethanol is NOT the way to go and we have placed a goodly sized tariff thereon. Thus the price of corn in the US is off the hook as the kids like to say. Commercial farmers, who like to fatten their charges as quickly and cheaply as possible and traditionally use 30-60 percent corn diets for their pigs and cows have turned to another, now cheaper, proven form of quick fattening: JUNK FOOD!! Cheese curls, tater tots, cookies, candy bars and french fries are now on the menu for our future food.  Pig farmer / comedian Alfred Smith says of the practice "I’ve heard no complaints".