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Well I really cant let this rant go past, which is perhaps why it was posted. My earlier posts on this subject at http://www.vivelecanada.ca/forum/viewto ... opic=15083 and http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/ ... 8124834614 received little attention but perhaps this will spark a debate.<br />
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Quote “Those farmers who survive will have a greater market share and will make significantly more profit. The laws of the free market will resolve the problem without government assistance.<br />
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What will happen to farmers who go out of business? The same thing that happess to anyone who loses his/her livelihood: they will have to sell the farm and invest the money to start something else.”<br />
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I must say that I do not favor , nor do most farmers, government handouts, many of these FAMILY farmers have second jobs in order to SUBSIDIZE their farming operations, having LOST money over the last few years. They are calling for support from pure necessity, most would prefer to be able to sell their products at a profit but have been backed into a corner by the CORPORATE take over of food production, processing, distribution and sales, which is very close to becoming a monopoly. It is not “a free market” because of this, if you have no fear in one or two international conglomerates totally controlling our food supply then just continue with your view on this and it will happen. At this point I am not even sure we can stop it.<br />
MY concerns regarding this are many, not the least of which is the inability of citizens to fight these large corporations on zoning, pollutions and excessive use of chemicals issues. There are other posts on this site regarding the enforced use of GM seeds and chemical resistant varieties that are transferring to the wild. In my view the smaller farms MUST survive if we are not going to be held at ransom in the future by these corporations. Please see the previously posted items for links to some of the National farm organizations that have extensively researched this, all of whom specifically say that SUBSIDIES IS NOT THE ANSWER but the removal of unfair monopolies and excessive profits by the Multinationals is what is required for a long term solution.<br />
The cry for farmers for funding NOW, is just to survive till that takes place (if it ever does). Unlike industry crop farmers must invest in seed, fuel, nutrients and labor to plant the crop only to be at the mercy of the weather and mostly corporate set sales prices before they realize any profit. THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THEIR PROFITABILITY under the current circumstances. As has been seen with the BSE crisis their considerable investment in raising livestock to market weight is often for naught, and they must sell at a loss. It is not possible to put your cattle in storage to wait for the market to change, they daily consume your meager profit in feed.<br />
As in any sector there are those who are “rabid” in their approach to this problem and I favor those who are more reasonable in their approach. HOWEVER given that many of these folks not only have lost money on the farm over the past few years but have mortgaged their property to pay for seed or feed in the vain hope that the prices they receive will turn around and give them even a modest profit. And are now in danger of loosing their farm, many of which have been in their families for generations, it cannot come as a surprise that some are driven to excesses. Whilst I an sure that there are diverging points of view between rural and city folk given the totally different lifestyles and outlook, the signs held by the farmers of late say it all “FARMERS FEED CITIES” <br />
When you are up to your ass in alligators it is difficult to remember that the initial objective was to drain the swamp |
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