Click on images to enlarge)
Take a look at the above graphs. What is wrong?
As can be seen, exports of cheese increased 32.5%. According to USDA, 2.3% more cheese was produced in the first three months of 2010 vs. 2009. Also, according to USDA there was 9% more cheese in storage, at the end of March, 2010.
Somehow, I don't think the problem boils down to a math problem.
Pay no attention to the price. As some people delight in saying, milk is worthless at the farm.
Farmers are going to have to start sticking together. If everyone opened up that little valve on their tanks for a while maybe someone, somewhere would open their eyes.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to take more than a few little meetings to solve these problems.
Maybe after a few weeks of dry cereal consumers would wake up. Maybe after a few weeks of empty silos, the cheese plants would come to life.
We have to start sticking together. Farmers have forgotten what that is all about. They are tired, they are broke.
My sister always said "The most dangerous person on the earth is the person who has nothing to lose".
Annie
www.thestarvingfarmer.blogspot.com
its not the dog in the fight, its the fight in the dog
ReplyDeleteTo me export means world pricing. Where is the trickle down to farmers? NMPF, IDFA, DFA all are big proponents of export, but none of this helps the producers.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteLet me get this straight; CME prices are well below world prices? If I am remembered of it isn't the CWT Program bragging about reciently subsidizing U.S. dairy export shipments with payments taken from U.S. farmer's milkchecks? If world prices are higher why the need for subsidy? Just who exactly gets the CWT subsidy check, anyway? Congratulations CWT defenders: looks like U.S. dairymen got ripped off again. Any dairyman still eupporting CWT has to be dumber than a box of doorknobs... Nate Wilson
I concur with Nate. CWT dollars appear to be a plaything for NMPF. I would gamble more often if I was using someone elses money.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nate! We shopped co-ops for several years to avoid paying for the outrageous ripoff called CWT, but now we are stuck coughing up our coins for somebody else to play with while our kids go without Christmas presents.
ReplyDeleteWe also went without the Christmas presents. Only other dairy farmers seem to understand the cruelty of our sacrifices, while too many of the general public seem much more concerned at giving generously to the local animal shelter. I go to the grocery store and see the food stamp people eating beter than my family. I get strange looks from people when asked to contribute to one cause or another and I say I can't, I'm broke. They truly don't believe us. We are rich in the eyes of the public. We have to get our story out there somehow.I'm ashamed to say that even some retired dairy farmers don't understand how bad things are. The thread that we are hanging by is mighty raveled.
ReplyDelete