farmer's share
The Farmer's Share Drops as Food Prices Rise
From Minnesota News Connection:
May 13, 2011
ST. PAUL, Minn. - It's costing more and more to fill that grocery bag these days, but that doesn't mean a windfall for local farmers.
More than 80 percent of the retail food dollar goes to people other than the growers and producers, says Doug Peterson, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union.
"It's the middle person, those people that buy from the farmer and sell to the consumer, the processors in between."
The farmer's share of the retail food dollar, once at about 20 cents, has fallen to less than 16 cents. Peterson says that drop not only affects producers but also creates a ripple effect in their rural communities because there are fewer farm dollars to spend.
Food prices are on the rise not because farmers are taking a greater share, Peterson says, but because of higher energy costs and limited outlets for products.
"The concentration in agriculture in the hands of very few. Competition. Fair trade issues. Those are all important in the cost of food to the consumer."
Ho, ho, ho
(December 5, 2010) - As Christmas approaches, some seasonal elves will shop, some will bake, some will string a couple of megawatts of colorful lights from the front porch to the barn.
I hope to avoid most of this season-pushing by burrowing into my den of paper to wait the out all this buying, baking and beautifying. Three weeks from now I plan to emerge from my reading with some of my energy, humor and wallet intact.
Initially, however, this season’s reading seems more for Halloween than Christmas.
For example, the week after Thanksgiving, DTN livestock analyst John Harrington filed a well-written, clever analysis of how Big Meat is now squeezing the stuffing out hog producers.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data on the October pork trade, writes Harrington, “Processors commanded 16.3 percent of the retail dollar last month, a piece of pie 10 percent larger than 2009 and 11 percent greater than the three-year average.”
Wasn’t it Pythagoras who postulated that if someone is gonna’ take a bigger share of the pie, somebody else is gonna’ get less pie?
“Last month’s farm share of retail spending dropped to 27 percent,” explains the Nebraska-based analyst-writer, “down sharply from the spring high of 36 percent.”
Visit MN Farmer Union at Farmfest
ST. PAUL (July 29, 2010) - It is that time of the year again when farmers, ranchers and over 40,000 attendees converge at the Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls for Farmfest. This year Farmfest will be held August 3-5, and over 500 organizations and companies involved in farming will be there. Below are some of the highlights of Farmfest, but be sure to check out the Farmfest website, www.farmfest.com, to learn about all the activities.
As in years past, there is a lot of action under the forum tent. This year the forums include one with the congressional candidates running for federal office; a discussion on carbon credits; a governor candidate's forum; a discussion on the livestock industry; and the auctioneer championship. Farmers Union Agency will once again be sponsoring the Pedal Pull contest every day at 1 p.m. near entrance gate 2.