The U.S. government has announced that it will buy a $40 million “bonus” purchase of chicken, on top of the chicken it normally buys for feeding programs, including soup kitchens and school lunches.
Tyson Foods Inc. and Pilgrim's Pride Corp. have begun using wheat for chicken feed, and Reuters is reporting rumors that some ethanol plants may close until the fall corn harvest, due to corn prices that have approached $8 a bushel.