Feeding Chickens Is So Costly It’s Changing Global Trade Flows
- Some feed makers in U.S., China turn to wheat to cut costs
- Perdue bought Brazilian soybeans, BRF turned to Argentine corn
This article is for subscribers only.
Feeding the world’s chickens, pigs and cows has gotten so expensive it’s upending global trade flows.
As grain prices surge, American chicken giant Perdue Farms Inc. took the rare step of buying soybeans, an American staple, from rival Brazil. BRF SA, Brazil’s top poultry producer, turned to neighboring Argentina for corn, while feed makers in China and the U.S. are buying wheat more commonly used for bread.