Input prices for broiler production, particularly corn, are becoming increasingly volatile due to increasing competition for corn from ethanol and biofuels production suggesting volatility in poultry profits will follow indicator of profits relating feed input prices and broiler meat output...

It is well documented that “unanticipated” information contained in USDA crop reports induces large price reactions in corn and soybean markets. Thus, a natural question that arises from this literature is: To what extent are futures hedges able to remove or reduce increased price risk...