Words fail to convey the calculated loss occurring to American farmers. The theorizing class seem to maintain a fine lifestyle advising farmers on various methods to improve efficiencies.
Two months ago I heard a presentation by a Farm Credit representative regarding a multistate 2008 study of dairy farm profitability. As an aside, the audience was informed that dairy farmers who bought all feed actually outperformed those who raised some or all feeds.
This was not always so. USDA monthly publishes a report on Agricultural Prices. In the Agricultural Prices report are listed indexes of prices received versus prices paid. Needless to say, the present numbers for dairy farmers are horrible.
However, a look at the annual indexes back to 1979, which is published by USDA, Economic Research Services indicates that farmers in general have been losing money since about 1991. Dairy farmers would have a much more difficult time making ends meet if all other farmers were paid a fair and honest price for their produce.
There is a disconnect between farmers and the rest of the country. Many people look at farming with a romantic view; farmers tending their crops and livestock, enjoying the sunshine and plenty of free time to sit in the shade. Truth unknown to most; farming is many long tiresome days, with few (if any) days off, alot of heartbreak and hard work that most often times does not have a paycheck on the other end of it.
ReplyDeleteTo top it all off we have normally bright intelligent people like John Stossel from 20/20 telling the folks how great farmers are doing, how rich and fat we're all getting from tax payer money.
As far as the expert non-farmers, I too listen with disdain as the farm credit folks and others lecture on what should be done to squeeze more profit from our cows (more profit? that's kind of funny). Sounds to me like what they all truly want is but one farmer left, that produces all the milk and meat with one cow ~ and gives it away for free. Yes, I believe that is the goal we are trying to achive in this counrty. My advice to the folks, "better eat all you can now".
Jeff Suehring
tlaundry@frontiernet.net