Great article on food prices

[DaleK]

A few Canadian references US readers might not get, but good nonetheless


Should our customers be lying to their customers?

By Glenn Caleval

John Morris, the former publisher of Manitoba Cooperator and the Farmers Independent Weekly recently wrote an opinion piece that ran in Alberta Farmer Express and Manitoba Cooperator. I was pleased to see it because it covered another one of my "angry spots."




Urban media has been replete recently with claims that higher prices paid to farmers is responsible for all manner of evil. I have seen stories that claim the rise in wheat and corn prices is making food unaffordable for the poor. A story out of Germany claimed higher prices for malting barley was going to increase the price of beer by 40%! In Mexico there have been riots over the 300% increase in the price of tortillas, attributed to the higher prices paid to corn growers. Here at home and across the border the media have been running dire warnings about the price of everything from bread to canola oil. There is even moaning that the price of lentils paid to farmers is going to have a huge impact on the end consumer.

John Morris was a farm publisher when being a farm publisher meant you actually had to know something about farming. He duly recorded the absurdity of these claims.

But he stops short of the directness that this stuff demands: When food processors, beer makers or retailers claim the prices paid to farmers are going to radically increase the price paid by consumers they are either intentionally lying to consumers or enraptured by some mystical disorder that disables mathematical thinking.



Rest of story at http://www.fna.ca/index.php?option=c...296&Itemid=254

[BTO]

Originally Posted by DaleK

A few Canadian references US readers might not get, but good nonetheless


Should our customers be lying to their customers?

By Glenn Caleval

John Morris, the former publisher of Manitoba Cooperator and the Farmers Independent Weekly recently wrote an opinion piece that ran in Alberta Farmer Express and Manitoba Cooperator. I was pleased to see it because it covered another one of my "angry spots."




Urban media has been replete recently with claims that higher prices paid to farmers is responsible for all manner of evil. I have seen stories that claim the rise in wheat and corn prices is making food unaffordable for the poor. A story out of Germany claimed higher prices for malting barley was going to increase the price of beer by 40%! In Mexico there have been riots over the 300% increase in the price of tortillas, attributed to the higher prices paid to corn growers. Here at home and across the border the media have been running dire warnings about the price of everything from bread to canola oil. There is even moaning that the price of lentils paid to farmers is going to have a huge impact on the end consumer.

John Morris was a farm publisher when being a farm publisher meant you actually had to know something about farming. He duly recorded the absurdity of these claims.

But he stops short of the directness that this stuff demands: When food processors, beer makers or retailers claim the prices paid to farmers are going to radically increase the price paid by consumers they are either intentionally lying to consumers or enraptured by some mystical disorder that disables mathematical thinking.



Rest of story at http://www.fna.ca/index.php?option=c...296&Itemid=254

I think Canada should socialize the food production, that would fix the problem. The same way they fixed the medical problem up there.

[Beltane]

Good article, thanks for posting.

[bugstabber]

Thanks for posting that article. It is dead on.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

That's what happens when you burn food.

[Jim S.]

Originally Posted by BTO

I think Canada should socialize the food production, that would fix the problem. The same way they fixed the medical problem up there.

My brother-in-law and his wife live up there. They have a family. Their family has never yet been denied prompt, efficient and competant medical care, including surgeries. No human system is perfect, but the cherry-picking of isolated instances and outright distortion of some stories about the Canadian system by "the U.S. health care industry and their paid U.S. lawmaker lackeys," as he calls them, leads him to some exasperation.

[Selena]

Originally Posted by Jim S.

My brother-in-law and his wife live up there. They have a family. Their family has never yet been denied prompt, efficient and competant medical care, including surgeries. No human system is perfect, but the cherry-picking of isolated instances and outright distortion of some stories about the Canadian system by "the U.S. health care industry and their paid U.S. lawmaker lackeys," as he calls them, leads him to some exasperation.

Good article BTW. And you are correct in your posting of isolated stories. Has been going on since states-rights-welfare-queen and continues this very week with the $82K family income with S-CHIP.

[Jennifer L.]

That guy said a mouthful. Really good article, thanks for posting it.

Jennifer

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by BTO

I think Canada should socialize the food production, that would fix the problem. The same way they fixed the medical problem up there.

Hey the Canadian dollar is now worth more than USA dollar. They must be doing something right or else we were just dumb enough to elect neo-fascists who owe allegiance to their corporate sponsers and believe in welfare for the rich at public expense. I suspect the second.

[DJ in WA]

Okay, I'm ignorant here.

Farmers are supposed to complain about being unfairly blamed for high prices, but how does that make them more money? Will consumers then refuse to buy lentils? How does that help anyone?

Can someone explain to me how farmers get 10 cents a pound for lentils, and with little processing, retailers get 200 cents? I thought competition would keep the end price down. Who controls what the final price is, and why does it seem to be a monopoly? Maybe farmers ought to open retail outlets selling lentils for 150 cents, and they could get 75 cents instead of 10.

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by Jim S.

My brother-in-law and his wife live up there. They have a family. Their family has never yet been denied prompt, efficient and competant medical care, including surgeries. No human system is perfect, but the cherry-picking of isolated instances and outright distortion of some stories about the Canadian system by "the U.S. health care industry and their paid U.S. lawmaker lackeys," as he calls them, leads him to some exasperation.

Too bad my dh's dad was one of those "isolated instances" where the socialized medical system killed him. I have see so many abuses to the system in Canada, no worse, mind you than people who have insurance in the US, of course. Give people something free or "almost" free (as in many insurance benefits) and soon they abuse the system and see little or no value in it.

Nevertheless, if I lived in Canada and had a critical medical issue, I'd go across the border and pay through the nose, if necessary, to avoid their system.

donsgal

[Beeman]

Farmers never put any efforet into controlling their market, instead depended on big business and the gov't. If they would have realized it's all about marketing and being closer to the consumer they would have been better off. If I could buy a raw product for pennies and put it in a bag and then market it and sell it for dollars I would do the same.
This is a homesteading board where many of us can produce food in small quantities for sale to the public. If you read posts you will see there are few of us that put effort into marketing the products to the end user and actually make a real profit. Most, like myself, will put more effort into the chicken house and spend my money and time on that then marketing. Therefore we'll sell our eggs for a dollar or two a dozen and compare our product to supermarket egg prices while we complain about feed prices.

[neolady]

Originally Posted by donsgal

Too bad my dh's dad was one of those "isolated instances" where the socialized medical system killed him. I have see so many abuses to the system in Canada, no worse, mind you than people who have insurance in the US, of course. Give people something free or "almost" free (as in many insurance benefits) and soon they abuse the system and see little or no value in it.

Nevertheless, if I lived in Canada and had a critical medical issue, I'd go across the border and pay through the nose, if necessary, to avoid their system.

donsgal

The Canadian medical care system can't be all that bad when the bordering US states people get themselves Canadian medical cards and come over here to have their medical procedures done - and the Canadian taxpayer picks up the tab for those costs. The Maritime provinces at least are weeding out these individuals slowly and this burden to our healthcare system. I have no idea how the remainder of the provinces are dealing with it.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by neolady

The Canadian medical care system can't be all that bad when the bordering US states people get themselves Canadian medical cards and come over here to have their medical procedures done - and the Canadian taxpayer picks up the tab for those costs.

How do they do that? Wouldn't they need to prove residency?

[BTO]

Originally Posted by HermitJohn

Hey the Canadian dollar is now worth more than USA dollar. They must be doing something right or else we were just dumb enough to elect neo-fascists who owe allegiance to their corporate sponsers and believe in welfare for the rich at public expense. I suspect the second.

Hermi,

You've got to get out more often!

BTO

Originally Posted by DJ in WA

Okay, I'm ignorant here.

Farmers are supposed to complain about being unfairly blamed for high prices, but how does that make them more money? Will consumers then refuse to buy lentils? How does that help anyone?

Can someone explain to me how farmers get 10 cents a pound for lentils, and with little processing, retailers get 200 cents? I thought competition would keep the end price down. Who controls what the final price is, and why does it seem to be a monopoly? Maybe farmers ought to open retail outlets selling lentils for 150 cents, and they could get 75 cents instead of 10.

Around here, things bought at the farm are cheap. It is the cost of shipping, packaging, wholesalers, retailers that cause the increase.

Then the government has its hand out for taxes all through the process.