Farmers in an uproar - local production or free trade?

[Pope Joan]

Farmers get nothing, the financiers in the middle take it all.

It is that way all over the world; except when it comes to giants like ConAgra and Kraft.

So change the system.

And make sure your "Farmer's Market" is not importing food from a distance. That is another hateful scam, saying "buy local" and then selling "local" stuff that has been shipped from a distance.

[Laerod]

Small shops? Some very few. Farmer's markets? Barely none. The farmers is dependent on the big buisnesses, to sell their products.

Yeah, but why? I'm presuming that those supermarkets replaced some other means of buying food.

Mostly because they're cheaper. The real reason why might elude us, but the fact of the matter is it really is like that. The big chains dictate the prices and the farmers have precious little influence even when they protest by draining their milk into sewers. And that's in the EU where they get generous subsidies.

[The ancient Kingdom of Putacaia]

The politicians of the world are too stubborn and Worry too much about their salary's to care for anybody who is'nt a government official, which in turn is why the world will probably face another black death. The Norwegian government should really help these farmers or suffer a mass starvation which Ukraine had to go through.

Just saying.

[Montoso]

Local production is important. In some nations it is a national security issue. Why do you think South Korea is busy leasing lands in other nations. Even some caribbean island nations were doing the same, leasing land in the nation of Guyana in Northern South America in order to grow rice and other necessary crops.

I know South Korean rice growers once protested when the SK. government allowed US rice to be imported into SK. US price was cheaper and would compete with SK. grown rice.

Here in Puerto Rico we have the same problem when it comes to food production. Previous island governments have paid less attention to local agriculture. Plenty of good agricultural land have been turned into shopping malls or residential neighborhoods. We use to be able to produce a good part of our food but now at most we produce 15% and going down. Much of our food has been imported from the US. Which is good for those US states which export food. It is also good for the food importers on our island. There are not many and it seems they almost have a monopoly. If our island agriculture produced more food it could break there monopoly. I do not think they want that. I should point out that a few basic foods that compete with local foods have a special tax levied on them.

I do know that they say our beef industry was complaining and wanted to be protected from outside interests. But since PR. has no control over its foreign activities, unlike Norway, we cannot do much about it. US signs Free Trade Agreements with many nations. Some of those agreements deal with agricultural products being allowed free and clear into the US. The problem is they will also be allowed free and clear into PR. So more competition for our local products. PR. is not invited or are we asked our opinion when it comes to those Free Trade Talks.

They say if no ships carrying food came into PR. that in one week the supermarkets would be empty. Currently, we get 8% of our meat from Nicaragua. It also seems that lately that US food products on our island have been getting competiton from Chile, Uruguay and other nations of Latin America. Food from those nations is cheaper. The island food importers love it since it increases there profits.

The Dominican Republic is the only nation in the Caribbean region that produces most of its food. They produce around 85% of their food and even export some of it.

Also, food has to be brought in using more expensive US flagged ships. Its against US law for PR to use foreign ships. The US Virgin Islands does not have this problem. So the additional costs are passed on to our local consumers.

I must point out that high quality Mangos from PR. are exported to europe. But at times they rot on the docks if there are no US flagged ships to transport them to Europe. The harbor could be filled with foreign flagged ships with there cargo holding areas empty but only US flagged ships are allowed. Heard one story that Mango exporters were trying all they could to find a US flagged ship to take a shipment of Mangos to europe. They lucked out after a while when a US Cargo ship came into port. Problem was that it was already full. So they could only take half the cargo of Mangos. So the other half was left to rot until someone got the idea of sending that half load of mangos to the Dominican Republic on the Ferry that goes from PR. to the Dominican Republic. Once it got to the Dominican Republic it was shipped on to Europe on a non-US flagged ship.

[SaintB]

Farmers get nothing, the financiers in the middle take it all.

It is that way all over the world; except when it comes to giants like ConAgra and Kraft.

So change the system.

And make sure your "Farmer's Market" is not importing food from a distance. That is another hateful scam, saying "buy local" and then selling "local" stuff that has been shipped from a distance.

I have a very nice farmers market here. They actually tell you where the produce they sell came from, whether it was from another state, a local farm, or one of their own greenhouses. They mark it on the display.

[Pendragonia]

Just an outsider looking in, but I say it is good that you stay self-sufficient in food production by any means necessary.

[Greed and Death]

Low food prices are a thing to celebrate not fear, let production shift to countries with less, so that more equality of wealth may be shared.

[Greed and Death]

Farmers get nothing, the financiers in the middle take it all.

It is that way all over the world; except when it comes to giants like ConAgra and Kraft.

So change the system.

And make sure your "Farmer's Market" is not importing food from a distance. That is another hateful scam, saying "buy local" and then selling "local" stuff that has been shipped from a distance.

Said farmer would not be able to bring in such a large harvest without the loans for his new equipment, seed, and other chemicals.

[Augarundus]

Wow, pretty biased polls.

It is well known amongst economists that tariffs and domestic farm subsidies in western nations (namely the United States and Western Europe) artificially boosts crop production there. These crops, kept at low prices due to subsidies, invariably out-compete independent farmers (particularly in the third world); this has led not only to greater obesity and health concerns in the first world, but continual impoverishment of the third.

Free trade would boost local production in agrarian economies. An elimination in subsidies for cattle-producing farmers in the western world would raise the price of meat, leading not only to a healthier populace (which consumes less meat), but relocating capital used in the production of meat to the production of other crops (namely grains). Increased production of crops in the third world (given imported modern technology from the developed economies) would lead to a rapid modernization of third world economies (coupled with the ongoing population explosion and industrialization of Africa). Free trade would lead to the breakup of world hierarchies in corporate crop production and and increased emphasis on local crop production (for this reason, I reject the suppositions that supposedly justify the false dichotomy in this title).

[Meritorious standard]

Few days ago, the Norwegian government announced the new transmissions to the Norwegian farmers.The government claimed that these transmissions were historicalyl high, yet, the farmers were far from pleased. And with good reasons. In 1987, farmers got 46 kroner per kilo for porkchop. In 2012, they only got 24 (estimated after today's prices). This is happening with all agricultural goods. Norwegian farmers has some of the lowest income in Norway, and for many it is impossible to feed themselves only on farming. Farmers all over Norway is taking action, demonstrating against injustice. 9/10 of Norwegians has said that they want to pay more to maintain the Norwegian agriculture. Yet, the politicians refuse to do so. More and more farms is being cloused, and Norway, as with the rest of the West, is being more and more dependent on foreign countries. And the EEA (EU) and the WTO is not making it easier for the local farmers, demanding trade restrictions to be loosened up, and free-trade to be expanded.

But why is it so bad that Norwegian farming is dying? I'll tell you why. Firstly, local production of food is more substainable than if you'll have to transport the food all across the globe. If there was to be a crisis, Norway would not be able to feed its own population. We would starve. The world needs more food production, not less. Lastly, it would destroy the cultural landscape, and people would be forced to leave the countryside, if farming dyes out. Less people on the countryside, would mean less tourism to Norway, as people is coming to see the countryside (in the West), not the cities. Not to mention all the important food traditions of Norway. It would be sad, to eat Ribbe from foreign sheeps on Christmas eve.

What is your thoughts on the issue? If you'd like, you may angle your answear to the conditions of the country you are living in.

Sources (in Norwegian):
http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/norge/1.8139845
http://nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/troms_og ... /1.8140547
http://www.itromso.no/nyheter/article546607.ece
http://www.nationen.no/2012/05/15/landb ... l/7432915/

Doesn't anyone in NS know how to set Google translate to auto translate a page in any language? Really folks? In this day and age?

It looks like as the OP says; farmers union is boycotting foreign product right before the Holiday on May 17th. I support unions as there is no viable alternative right now; but this tactic is one that may backfire on them. I also support White Nationalism...obviously...so securing a Nation's food stocks and economy for the Nation makes sense. Any surplus of any type after the Nation has been taken care of can be sold....Nation first!

Agriculture is a fundamental key to a nation's sustainability so if the farmers are threatened they should use whatever it takes...to make changes happen. All primary and secondary industry and agriculture has to be protected otherwise we get cities full of services at ridiculous rates due to the anti-Nationalist policy of importing foreign goods. Wages get dropped; and the scum providing the 'services' get richer until the bottom falls out of the market for that 'service'. Everyone loses in a recession; except the scum that rises to the top via shady hiring practices and shitty products from third world nations.

To the OP: IF you want to see "Made in Norway" stamped on products; FIGHT for it. Remember that if your people are not in control of the Government; the Government must be changed.
Create products; hire your own, and work towards a better nation for your nation. Trade is a secondary concern and is supposed to be only for things you can't create in your home nation. People keep thinking profit over people; and that's pure treason!
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[Bombadil]

I'm not sure subsidies are at the root of the problem here. It's been long argued that subsidies drive up the production of hi-yield/low benefit commodities, drive down the prices of cheap junk food and destroy our general choice of food.

Various economic models show that even if farm subsidies are eliminated, there's a continued overproduction of high-yield produce - corn, factory farms - because of characteristics unique to farming – production is variable and so is pricing and there's little means of differentiation so they tend to overproduce regardless of price. Any farmer wants a 'good' crop even if that means focusing on high yield crops that means, since everyone is doing it - and agribusiness supply chains develop to accomodate it - farmers are shooting themselves in the foot. Thus they need more subsidies and on we go..

Basically, farm subsidies should be heavily directed to healthier, diverse foods. Why should factory farms be subsidised in their race to the bottom of efficiency to create the shittiest food, or farms be subsidised to produce vast amounts of crappy corn that then gets dumped into every product with what's leftover dumped on 3rd world countries.

Alas, in many countries, the government advisories are made up of ex-executives from the top agri-business companies - foxes ruling the chicken coop again.