Gerald: I'm not interested in football salmeterol generic name Soaring feed costs in the wake of the worst U.S. droughtsince the Dust Bowl and fierce demand for light corn supplies byethanol makers resulted in cattle ranchers thinning herds. Thatled to too few animals to fatten up and too many feedlotoperators and packing houses scrambling to get them. Adding tothe industry's woes, U.S. retailers are reluctant to raiseprices in fear of alienating recession-weary U.S. consumers, whoare willing to shift to less expensive proteins such as chickenand ground beef.