Farmers raking it in this year

[Riesstiu IV]

Fact is many countries live beyond their means. By having massive populations that continue to have an average of 6 - 10 kids per family is not sustainable forever. Every country should strive be able to feed it's population without relying on imports.

It's only going to get worse, I think, as the price of petroleum goes up.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Oerdin


HA! The lobbyists will now say the corporate welfare is needed now more then ever to boost production.

Duh, the only way to lower domestic prices now is to give farmers more money so that they can sell to consumers at below what they would have made on the world market price. It is the best way to reduce the cost to domestic consumers in these troubled times.

Yessiree.

[Colon™]

Indeedio, advocate gov't measures that lower prices to counteract the other gov't measures that raise prices. And people wonder how the CAP became such a monstrosity.

[VetLegion]

Why is Kazakhstan restricting exports, they don't really have a huge population to feed.

Regarding shortages I read that they are partially caused by much of US corn production being diverted towards biodiesel. Is that true?

[Riesstiu IV]

Yes, and if people want to eat they better start giving us free oil.

[Barnabas]

It doesnt matter if you dont have a huge population.
What matters is the international price.


Argentina has 40 million people, produces food enough for 300 million people, and there are very high export taxes on grains, to keep food cheaper inside the country.


If I were the president of the national association of farmers, I would create a plan, which would offer the state something like,

ok, we sell 25% of our production at a lower price inside the country, but let us export the rest and get the full international price

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Oerdin


HA! The lobbyists will now say the corporate welfare is needed now more then ever to boost production.

It would be better to make more food stamps available.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Farmers are bitter people. They don't deserve to make a lot of money.

Fixed

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Fact is many countries live beyond their means. By having massive populations that continue to have an average of 6 - 10 kids per family is not sustainable forever. Every country should strive be able to feed it's population without relying on imports.

It's only going to get worse, I think, as the price of petroleum goes up.

Egypt is a classic example of dumbasses having a dozen kids with just a $100 per month income. The Egyptian dictatorship, and it is a dictatorship, maintains extremely tight controls over business because it doesn't want an opposition being funded by business interests it doesn't control (and it nationalized most of private industry to insure the dictator controls everything; think about that when you read about Chavez's nationalizations including a new round last week).

To maintain some public support and to prop up the failed nationalized economy the Egyptian government massively subsidizes food and other essentials. The problem is even at pennies on the dollar these dirt poor masses can't afford to pay for their dozen kids and extended families. If ever family planning was needed it is in places like Egypt and Palestine.

[Perfection]

They still use rakes?

[One_more_turn]

America is the largest food exporter in the world, so high food prices benefit us relatively more.

[DanS]

Our ag trade surplus is only about $25 billion per annum, however.

[asleepathewheel]

If they really care about eating, they should move.

Spoiler:

right kid?

[KrazyHorse]

Uh, more like 10 bill



Canada's is actually significantly bigger than yours (on an absolute dollar amount)

[DanS]

My source is this...

http://www.fas.usda.gov/cmp/outlook/2008/Feb-08/AES-02-21-2008.pdf

It includes the FY 2008 figures, which indeed are estimated at a $25 billion surplus. The FY 2007 balance figure was much lower.

We expect to export 29 million metric tons of wheat, 59 million metric tons of coarse grains (mostly corn), and 39 million metric tons of soybeans and derivatives.