Farmers Destroy Millions of Pounds of Crops Due to Pandemic

[Rexedgar]

Farmers Destroy Millions of Pounds of Crops Due to Pandemic | KXL


Demand is down, but this doesn’t make sense to me. People here and worldwide are hungry, isn’t there another resolution?

 

[Jetboogieman]

Farmers Destroy Millions of Pounds of Crops Due to Pandemic | KXL


Demand is down, but this doesn’t make sense to me. People here and worldwide are hungry, isn’t there another resolution?

Well the problem that we learned from just donating **** tons of food in the 80's and 90's is it makes it virtually impossible for domestic suppliers of food in those nations where the food aid goes to either compete or to emerge, now don't get me wrong, there are times where the food aid is badly needed and there are no suppliers to fill the gap and it is sad to see so much food get destroyed, here our farmers are dumping tons of milk because demand is low, but by the same token you can't just be like, okay, let's just send it to (X) place because it exists, that takes money, time and resources to which we don't currently have for such an endeavor at this time either and to be fair, absolutely there are probably places right now that need it.

A tough situation though and bad no matter how you play the cards.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Farmers Destroy Millions of Pounds of Crops Due to Pandemic | KXL


Demand is down, but this doesn’t make sense to me. People here and worldwide are hungry, isn’t there another resolution?

The article stated that a lack of buyers (for specific crops) was the issue. What other resolution did you have in mind?

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Farmers Destroy Millions of Pounds of Crops Due to Pandemic | KXL


Demand is down, but this doesn’t make sense to me. People here and worldwide are hungry, isn’t there another resolution?

Food aid overseas almost never actually helps the countries it goes to. It actually undercuts domestic farmers there. Humans are not cattle, giving them free sh** is almost never good for them.

And to that matter we have a major problem with how we subsidize agriculture, instead of letting the free market regulate we pay farmers to destroy crops when the price would get too low.

 

[Rexedgar]

Well the problem that we learned from just donating **** tons of food in the 80's and 90's is it makes it virtually impossible for domestic suppliers of food in those nations where the food aid goes to either compete or to emerge, now don't get me wrong, there are times where the food aid is badly needed and there are no suppliers to fill the gap and it is sad to see so much food get destroyed, here our farmers are dumping tons of milk because demand is low, but by the same token you can't just be like, okay, let's just send it to (X) place because it exists, that takes money, time and resources to which we don't currently have for such an endeavor at this time either and to be fair, absolutely there are probably places right now that need it.

A tough situation though and bad no matter how you play the cards.

If there is anything I have learned in the past three months, it’s that we can’t run out of money.........

 

[EMNofSeattle]

The article stated that a lack of buyers (for specific crops) was the issue. What other resolution did you have in mind?

Clearly a massive hive mind of liberal good intentions that miraculously sends every calorie of food to exactly the right place to be consumed by all of the starving people and all for free too.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Food aid overseas almost never actually helps the countries it goes to. It actually undercuts domestic farmers there. Humans are not cattle, giving them free sh** is almost never good for them.

And to that matter we have a major problem with how we subsidize agriculture, instead of letting the free market regulate we pay farmers to destroy crops when the price would get too low.

Yep, because farmers are special (at least according to their congress critters?), thus they can't be allowed to suffer a (business) loss.

 

[Rexedgar]

The article stated that a lack of buyers (for specific crops) was the issue. What other resolution did you have in mind?

I don’t have the answer. Goes against the grain, I guess.

 

[Rexedgar]

Clearly a massive hive mind of liberal good intentions that miraculously sends every calorie of food to exactly the right place to be consumed by all of the starving people and all for free too.

Cause your belly is full; hooray for you **** them!

 

[ttwtt78640]

Clearly a massive hive mind of liberal good intentions that miraculously sends every calorie of food to exactly the right place to be consumed by all of the starving people and all for free too.

Yep, never mind that folks can't compete with "free" so the local food supply will (forever?) remain inadequate.

 

[Drawdown]

Well the problem that we learned from just donating **** tons of food in the 80's and 90's is it makes it virtually impossible for domestic suppliers of food in those nations where the food aid goes to either compete or to emerge, now don't get me wrong, there are times where the food aid is badly needed and there are no suppliers to fill the gap and it is sad to see so much food get destroyed, here our farmers are dumping tons of milk because demand is low, but by the same token you can't just be like, okay, let's just send it to (X) place because it exists, that takes money, time and resources to which we don't currently have for such an endeavor at this time either and to be fair, absolutely there are probably places right now that need it.

A tough situation though and bad no matter how you play the cards.

I would add that in addition to what you said, food processing is complicated big business. Even if you could get those tomatoes to a processor, they may not want them because the grower may not be organic, they don't have the manpower or supplies, or capacity to process them into shelf-stable products, etc. One of the food processing plants near me never really knows day to day whether they are going to be able to keep running simply because they have so many kinks in their supply chains. There may be plenty of milk but a short supply of flour today or have plenty of ingredients but a short supply of containers tomorrow. They cannot wing it because they operate from very set in stone ingredients and suppliers to comply with labeling, regulations, Kosher/Halal requirements, etc. My understanding is that some of the machines are built for very specific ingredients so even switching from one type of flour to another could gum the whole works up.

 

[OldFatGuy]

Government cheese takes up warehouse space, for decades.

Sad to say, when we donate food to many third world countries, local powers that be, divert that food (and aid in other forms) to themselves and black markets for their personal profits. After Hurricane Mathew hit in 2016, a French cargo plane landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport, delivered 25 tonnes of emergency donated rice, which left the airport under police escort. Two days later that rice started showing up in Haiti's black markets.

Often, the issue causing hunger and starvation, malnutrition is not availability of food, but lack of proper sanitation. The calories and nutrition from whatever is consumed are expended combating diseases. Diseases that could be prevented with proper sanitation and potable water.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Yep, never mind that folks can't compete with "free" so the local food supply will (forever?) remain inadequate.

It’s like my brother who has fallen for literally every left wing cause was talking to me last week about how wasted food and seeing people throw away food made him mad because there’s starving people so it’s not fair to waste it. And I’m thinking “gee what do you want me to do, DHL my rotten expired food to the Congo”?

People feel too much and think too little.

 

[Helix]

Too bad we didn't mint another trillion dollar coin to buy the crops.

 

[Threegoofs]

Gee. So glad we subsidize these guys to produce food that they can throw away.

Maybe, just maybe... we produce too much food?

Right now, the prices of soybeans and corn are plummeting and the futures are going lower as well.

What are farmers doing in the face of this?

PLANTING MORE SOYBEANS AND CORN.

In the face of a price drop and glut, its nonsensical to increase supply, unless somebody is gonna pay you regardless.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I don’t have the answer. Goes against the grain, I guess.

Why should farmers be special? If I made 10K ceramic flamingos which say Florida 2020 on them, should I be paid for them even if there is no demand for them?

 

[Drawdown]

It’s like my brother who has fallen for literally every left wing cause was talking to me last week about how wasted food and seeing people throw away food made him mad because there’s starving people so it’s not fair to waste it. And I’m thinking “gee what do you want me to do, DHL my rotten expired food to the Congo”?

People feel too much and think too little.

Invite him for dinner and don't allow him to eat anything until everybody else is done and then plate him up the leftover bits :shock:

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Government cheese takes up warehouse space, for decades.

Sad to say, when we donate food to many third world countries, local powers that be, divert that food (and aid in other forms) to themselves and black markets for their personal profits. After Hurricane Mathew hit in 2016, a French cargo plane landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport, delivered 25 tonnes of emergency donated rice, which left the airport under police escort. Two days later that rice started showing up in Haiti's black markets.

Often, the issue causing hunger and starvation, malnutrition is not availability of food, but lack of proper sanitation. The calories and nutrition from whatever is consumed are expended combating diseases. Diseases that could be prevented with proper sanitation and potable water.

A long running scam in New York City was Dominicans going on food stamps and buying soda and cookies and non perishable foods and sending it to relatives in the DR. You might be thinking “oh good it’s going to starving poor people in Santo Domingo” well... no it’s going to stock their cousin’s bodega to resell.

NYC welfare food is shipped in barrels to the Dominican Republic – then sold on the black market

 

[Lovebug]

Gee. So glad we subsidize these guys to produce food that they can throw away.

Maybe, just maybe... we produce too much food?

Right now, the prices of soybeans and corn are plummeting and the futures are going lower as well.

What are farmers doing in the face of this?

PLANTING MORE SOYBEANS AND CORN.

In the face of a price drop and glut, its nonsensical to increase supply, unless somebody is gonna pay you regardless.

So your answer is having them go belly up? Next time you want strawberries or lettuce, call China.
These are strange times, and yes, many of us are reluctant to buy produce we can 't clean properly. Lets hope this will pass soon.

 

[Rexedgar]

Why should farmers be special? If I made 10K ceramic flamingos which say Florida 2020 on them, should I be paid for them even if there is no demand for them?

I don’t understand your example. No one dies of “malflamingo!”

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Gee. So glad we subsidize these guys to produce food that they can throw away.

Maybe, just maybe... we produce too much food?

Right now, the prices of soybeans and corn are plummeting and the futures are going lower as well.

What are farmers doing in the face of this?

PLANTING MORE SOYBEANS AND CORN.

In the face of a price drop and glut, its nonsensical to increase supply, unless somebody is gonna pay you regardless.

And they only grow soybeans and corn because we subsidize it.

Don’t get my wrong I’m glad I pay less for bourbon and corn syrup flavored Coca-Cola. But maybe a massive cut in corn and soy production is what needs to happen.

Maybe cutting soy production... to like zero, in fact scheduling soy in Schedule 1 of the controlled substances act will lead to liberal men going extinct without all the feminine hormone product they’re consuming.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I don’t understand your example. No one dies of “malflamingo!”

No one can compete with "free" either. No one (local) plants crops if there is no (local) market for them.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

So your answer is having them go belly up? Next time you want strawberries or lettuce, call China.
These are strange times, and yes, many of us are reluctant to buy produce we can 't clean properly. Lets hope this will pass soon.

Strawberries and lettuce actually recieve far less government aid then grains. We subsidize Midwest grain farmers to an insane degree, fresh produce And “speciality crops” (s category ranging from tree fruit to berries to tobacco) recieves only a very small share of farm aid.

Ive spoken with state legislators in Washington about this topic and they have long complained that costal states that grow produce and fruit get the short end of the stick compared to the Midwest and their grains

 

[Lovebug]

Strawberries and lettuce actually recieve far less government aid then grains. We subsidize Midwest grain farmers to an insane degree, fresh produce And “speciality crops” (s category ranging from tree fruit to berries to tobacco) recieves only a very small share of farm aid.

Ive spoken with state legislators in Washington about this topic and they have long complained that costal states that grow produce and fruit get the short end of the stick compared to the Midwest and their grains

From the article

U.S. farmers have had to destroy millions of pounds of perishable foods like tomatoes, lettuce and green beans which were grown to supply restaurants and hotels,

 

[apdst]

Gee. So glad we subsidize these guys to produce food that they can throw away.

Maybe, just maybe... we produce too much food?

Right now, the prices of soybeans and corn are plummeting and the futures are going lower as well.

What are farmers doing in the face of this?

PLANTING MORE SOYBEANS AND CORN.

In the face of a price drop and glut, its nonsensical to increase supply, unless somebody is gonna pay you regardless.

The lockdowns killed demand. You wanted a national lockdown. You got it. This is a by-product of the lockdown.