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**daedalus**

Bacon shortage?!

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/09/25/bacon-shortage-pigs.html

Global bacon shortage 'unavoidable'
CBC News
Pigs are pictured in a barn at an Ontario farm. World pork prices could soon spike, a British group says. Pigs are pictured in a barn at an Ontario farm. World pork prices could soon spike, a British group says. (Canadian Press)

(Note:CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)

Experts say the world could be on the verge of a significant bacon shortage because of rising feed costs and declining pig populations.

Britain's National Pig Association said Tuesday that an international shortage of bacon and other pork products is now "unavoidable," and expects higher prices for consumers soon.

Recent data shows Europe's pig population declining at an alarming rate "and this is a trend that is being mirrored around the world," the NPA said in a release. Every major pork-producing European nation has fewer pigs today than they did last year, even as demand for pork products has remained high.

'Farmers can't find a way to hedge their bets.'—Gary Stordy, CPC spokesman

A crippling drought in the U.S. farm belt caused the price of corn and soy, two staples of agricultural feed, to skyrocket. Retailers have been thus far unwilling to pass those costs on to consumers, and instead have been paying pig farmers less for each pig.

The problem is not limited to Europe.

The Canadian Pork Council confirms that the size of North America's pig herd is shrinking, which will drive up prices as farmers start to limit supply.

"It's because of the rise in the price of corn," the agency's public relations manager, Gary Stordy, told CBC News. "Producers are losing money right now and like any other business, when you're not making money, you shut down."
'Market price' unsustainable

U.S. laws that mandate a certain percentage of the corn crop go into ethanol fuel for the transportation industry had lit a fire under corn prices even before the drought. The size of the continent's corn crop has been rising for a decade, before falling precipitously this year.

When that happens, other corn buyers, including pig farmers, get hit.

"You can buy futures for some commodities, but not feed," Stordy said. "Farmers can't find a way to hedge their bets, so they have to pay the market price," which has suddenly become unsustainable, he said.

The cost increases have made it no longer cost-efficient for farmers to raise pigs, NPA says. For every two per cent decline in the number of hogs slaughtered, the NPA says consumer prices will rise by roughly 10 per cent

"NPA believes slaughtering could fall by as much as 10 per cent in the second half of next year, which indicates a doubling of the price of … pork and pork products," the agency said.

So I don't urge anyone else to panic...but I'm panicky.

**azazel the cat**

Heard this today as well... really, it just makes me angry about the ethanol-requirement laws, considering how inefficient ethanol production is.

My bacon is going to cost more, just to placate some dirty hippies.

**Squigsquasher**

There is an answer: bring mutton back into fashion...

Delicious, succulent mutton...

**whembly**

Seconded on the mutton...

If you're need for bacon is overpowering, seriously, you can go hunting for feral pigs in the south. It's getting bad...

**Jihadin**

No bacon....dude...I so go to war over getting my bacon

**AustonT**

azazel the cat wrote:Heard this today as well... really, it just makes me angry about the ethanol-requirement laws, considering how inefficient ethanol production is.

My bacon is going to cost more, just to placate some dirty hippies.

Do they not already ration bacon in Maple-land?

**Necroshea**

Squigsquasher wrote:
There is an answer: bring mutton back into fashion...

Delicious, succulent mutton...

I've been meaning to try that for some time now. Goat too. Speaking of which, there's this...African (?) resteraunt down the street that says they serve the best goat in town. Considering it's the only place I know of that serves goat, it's not much of a claim. Still, I need to hit that place up at some point.

Also yes, bacon is serious bidness. If someone were to hold me at gunpoint and demanding whatever bacon I had in my possession, let's just say he better be ready to pull that trigger.

**AustonT**

Necroshea wrote:
Squigsquasher wrote:
There is an answer: bring mutton back into fashion...

Delicious, succulent mutton...

I've been meaning to try that for some time now. Goat too. Speaking of which, there's this...African (?) resteraunt down the street that says they serve the best goat in town. Considering it's the only place I know of that serves goat, it's not much of a claim. Still, I need to hit that place up at some point.

Also yes, bacon is serious bidness. If someone were to hold me at gunpoint and demanding whatever bacon I had in my possession, let's just say he better be ready to pull that trigger.

Look for something Moroccan, Algerian, or Greek. Goat is not terribly different from sheep if you try one (not lamb of course) you can basically check off the other. Back when I was much younger all gyros were made from goat, now they don't taste right, stupid Kronos and stupid Americans!

**KalashnikovMarine**

whembly wrote:
Seconded on the mutton...

If you're need for bacon is overpowering, seriously, you can go hunting for feral pigs in the south. It's getting bad...

And they are some big goddamn pigs too... lot of bacon on those beasties.

**hotsauceman1**

And? Its just strips of meat.
Now this also means soething worse.
SAUSAGE SHORTAGE!!!!!!

**Coolyo294**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
And? Its just strips of meat.
Now this also means soething worse.
SAUSAGE SHORTAGE!!!!!!

And? It's just tubes of meat.

**hotsauceman1**

With Spices.

**LordofHats**

No... Not my Bacon! What will I have as a side dish for my late night eggs and toast?

**Snrub**

Well this ain't good. I don't function properly with out my morning egg and bacon muffin. Guess its time to start stockpiling for the enevitable bacon apocolypse.

**Samus_aran115**

Ew, you guys eat pig? Those are filthy bottom-feeding animals. Why would anyone want to eat that?

I had a BLT the other day at a nice diner. The bacon part of it was terrible. Seems like no one knows how to make good bacon anyway, so I'm not too upset.

**whembly**

Samus_aran115 wrote:
Ew, you guys eat pig? Those are filthy bottom-feeding animals. Why would anyone want to eat that?

I had a BLT the other day at a nice diner. The bacon part of it was terrible. Seems like no one knows how to make good bacon anyway, so I'm not too upset.

Trust me... find bacon made by "Burgers Smokehouse"...

You'll thank me...

**Bromsy**

God Damn ethanol.

**Krellnus**

Forgive my ignorance, but what does ethanol have to do with bacon?

**Waaagh_Gonads**

In the US the main source for ethanol to be used in cars is Yellow Corn.
So its price has gone up as the ethanol producers have been increasing demand.

The U.S. produced 13.2 billion U.S. liquid gallons (49.2 billion liters) of ethanol fuel in 2010.

That is a hell of alot of corn.

When corn was cheap - it was used to feed pigs.
Piggeries can no longer afford to buy it as a feed.

**Krellnus**

I see thanks for that.

**Easy E**

Bacon... overrated since 2010.

Although my wife makes delicious German-chocolate covered, Applewood smoked bacon with sea salt.

**kronk**

Bacon is the lettuce of meats.

**master of ordinance**

WTF

NO BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BACON WARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh wait....... phew.....

Dear gods you poor feths in america i really feel for you..... what has the world come to with bacon and sausage rationing......

**CuddlySquig**

This just doesn't seem real somehow. It's too horrible. Bacon shortage? AHHHH!
How do we fix it? What do we do to make it go away? There must be something we can do to lower the price of corn!

**azazel the cat**

AustonT wrote:
azazel the cat wrote:Heard this today as well... really, it just makes me angry about the ethanol-requirement laws, considering how inefficient ethanol production is.

My bacon is going to cost more, just to placate some dirty hippies.

Do they not already ration bacon in Maple-land?

Not if they don't want riots.

**streamdragon**

whembly wrote:
Samus_aran115 wrote:
Ew, you guys eat pig? Those are filthy bottom-feeding animals. Why would anyone want to eat that?

I had a BLT the other day at a nice diner. The bacon part of it was terrible. Seems like no one knows how to make good bacon anyway, so I'm not too upset.

Trust me... find bacon made by "Burgers Smokehouse"...

You'll thank me...

this x1,000. Burger's is good stuff.

Also I doubt this will end up being a major issue like they say. Cattle farmers have als
ready switched to a variety of things to replace corn and pigs are far less picky about what they eat than cows are.

**whembly**

If you don't mind slicing your own bacon... get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Half-Slab-Bacon-4-5-5-5--rind/dp/B00126GBOU/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1348685345&sr=8-23&keywords=burgers%27+bacon

Be still my heart!

**Ratbarf**

Piggeries can no longer afford to buy it as a feed.

Actually not quite correct, my dad is the Swine finishing rep for OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs)

It isn't that they can't buy feed, it's why the hell would you feed your corn to pigs? Last I talked to him he said an average hog was going for 200 dollars a pig to a slaughterhouse, it takes more than 250 dollars currently to finish a pig, that is get it up to the weight that the slaughter house wants before they process it. That 250 dollars is buying the seed, herbicide/pesticide, equipment, labour, and machinery to keep a hog operation running. Corn is a low input cost crop, so farmers grow corn to feed it to their pigs so they save money on buying feed. They did this when corn was 2-3 dollars a bushel and and essentially turned it into 4-5 dollar corn when the pig sold. Now you can just out and sell that corn for 6-7 dollars a bushel or more, meaning that for the corn that you fed to your pigs you could have sold for about half again as much, without all of the additional input costs. So what's been happening is that a large number of hog farmers have simply been getting out of pigs and just growing cash crops instead.

So pretty much the reason bacon is going to be shorted is because carcass price has been too low for too long, and the price of corn has now risen that you get more money for your corn than you would putting it through your pigs.

**djones520**

I know we're approaching crisis levels in my household. I shot a 600lb hog back in June, and we've only got about five or six pounds of it's bacon left.

Man is she good eating. She gave us pork enchilada's tonight.

**KalashnikovMarine**

djones520 wrote:
I know we're approaching crisis levels in my household. I shot a 600lb hog back in June, and we've only got about five or six pounds of it's bacon left.

Man is she good eating. She gave us pork enchilada's tonight.

Sounds like it's time to go kill another one then. Not like they're ever out of season any more.

I wish Coyotes produced bacon, we don't have wild hogs up here and 'Yotes are the only year round pest.

Still don't hunt'em in spring though. I'd hate to kill a mother with dependent pups.