Food price fears as US warns on crop yields

Financial Times ^ | 11-09-10 | Gregory Meyer / Jack Farchy

[Red Badger]

The spectre of inflation loomed over agricultural markets after the US slashed key crop forecasts and warned of shortfalls in grains.

The agriculture department on Tuesday cut estimates of US corn yields for a third successive month, forecast record soyabean exports to China and warned of the slimmest cotton stocks since 1925.

[Smokin' Joe]

While there are definately ginormous agribusinesses out there, the lowly farmer is disappearing. Here's why. If, as in this area, you have to farm a lot of acreage to pay for the equipment you need (10+ square miles is not uncommon), and the parcels of land have been bought over generations, the net worth of your means of production is so large that even the equipment alone will kick in the death tax upon your demise.

You can't just pass the farm on to your kid. You can only keep it together by making a business out of it and transferring ownership of the business.

[Texas Fossil]

We have had more rain in the past year in this part of Texas in my father’s memory. He is 85.

BUT, we appear to be just coming out of the bottom of a very long sunspot cycle. We have known for over 100 years that weather is more variable during sunspot minimums and maximums.

Things will remain unpredictable but more back to normal in the future.

“The Sky is not falling”

AND we Kicked the Dems butt on Nov. 2nd. Waaahwhoo

[Red Badger]

My liver is clean, too.
I wash it in alcohol every night!..........

[Red Badger]

Not if she gets to it first..........

[Sawdring]

Here in Minnesota it is one of the best harvests in beans and corn for awhile. Just enough rain, just enough heat and then a good and dry fall for harvest. I like to see the farmers do well.

[Sawdring]

What if that guy that had cow poop on his boots liked to party in Eunemclaw?

[tatsinfla]

An agricultural subsidy is a governmental subsidy paid to farmers and agribusinesses to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and influence the cost and supply of such commodities. Examples of such commodities include wheat, feed grains (grain used as fodder, such as maize or corn, sorghum, barley, and oats), cotton, milk, rice, peanuts, sugar, tobacco, and oilseeds such as soybeans.

[Texas Fossil]

Farm transfer.

You are correct and the consumer will be the net looser.

It is also on the operations side since PVPA and the monopoly of university research under the corporate umbrella of AgriPro.

We all loose loose loose.

[tatsinfla]

here is another link to a story for you....

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/11/na-usda-urged-to-end-paying-farmers-not-to-grow-cr/

[Balding_Eagle]

Not just corn, but soybeans and cotton. We will be hungry and naked.............

Seesh you worry mongers have no idea what the American Farmer can do.

See my tagline, it's been as true this year as it has been for the last 50, and will be far into the future.

Now, sitdown, shutup, and eat your food, 'cuz there's a mountain of surplus food needing to be used up.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Subsidies/price supports are not paying a farmer not to plant a crop.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

I would also add that subsidies/price supports are not paid at times like these when grains and fibers are at record prices.

[tatsinfla]

read the article at the link...

[cherry]

as I recall, didn't Kansas or Oklahoma have bad flooding this past year, ruining the crops?....

another thing to add....many farmers in Cali. were shut off from irrigation by the govt....

the govt creates these crisises.....they've gotten very good at it....

[LomanBill]

>>That's right! I'm blaming NASCAR for world starvation! HA!

If American starvation exists and needs to be blamed on somebody, then it should be blamed upon the obese Useful Idiot sheeple who deferred their responsibility for self-governance; who deferred it by proxy to the parasitic "Grocery Clerks" who made this midterm election the most expensive in US history -- all so the sheeple could be told how to vote via TV, ala 30 second spots of half-truths and lies.

Viagra, Soma, and the sub-prime mortgage industry -- proud sponsors of NASCAR, and American Idol.

Proud Pirates of the American Dream.

HA!

[Red Badger]

I know what the American farmer can do..........if the government/environazis/Congress will just get the hell out of the way!.........

[Netizen]

Ethanol..........First rule of civilization: DON'T BURN YOUR FOOD....

Second rule of civilization: DON'T PAY FARMERS TO NOT GROW CROPS....

[Netizen]

that and the gov’t paying farmers etc not to grow crops....control the food, control the people....

Not only that, but, by paying farmers to not grow crops, they can create shortages, allowing them to raise prices.

[tatsinfla]

exactly...says that right under the defination of subsidies....

[Netizen]

Agricultural Adjustment Act
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1639.html

Conservation Programs
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=landing

Conservation Reserve Program
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/crp/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2009/08/why-does-the-govt-pay-farmers.html

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/11/na-usda-urged-to-end-paying-farmers-not-to-grow-cr/

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/study_farmers_willing_to_try_g.html