Johanns: Costly Corn Squeezing Farmers

by Libby Quaid, Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Soaring corn prices are squeezing meat and milk producers, but consumers will not necessarily see higher prices at the grocery checkout, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in an interview Thursday.

Costly corn has made it more expensive to feed cows, chickens and pigs. Demand for ethanol, a fuel made from corn, has pushed the price of corn above $3 a bushel, the highest level in more than a decade.

That is bound to have an impact on farms and ranches, Johanns said. More