Farmers in trouble...

[Cameron]

When I was a child, the countryside was filled with forty acre farms. The farmers raised cotton and corn and made their living off of that 40 acres of planet Earth.

They also raised a couple of pigs, some cows, a few chickens and had a nice garden for fresh vegetables.

Most of you may have never seen a mule pulling a plow, but many worked their land with mules. Then came those gas guzzling, environmentally un-friendly, noise polluting tractors. :lol2

Maybe Al Gore would like to see mules re-introduced into the farming plan to help save the environment.

But there was an independence in being the boss of that forty acres that is missiing today. Those farmers and their families were very special people.

[Bernardd]

US farmers making record profits
04/09/2007 00:00:00
FWi
US farmers are heading for a year of record farm profits, buoyed by higher receipts for both livestock and arable crops.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/09/04/106439/us-farmers-making-record-profits.html

[Issachar]

The article also says:

“But the glass is only half full for America’s farmers, since farm production costs are also escalating,” says Mr Francl.

Total cash farm expenses have risen 9% to $222bn, with fuel and oil prices up 4.5% and fertilizer up 17% in 2007.

“This is the tail end of a cumulative cost drive for energy-related inputs that, over the past four years, has increased fuel costs 71% and fertilizer costs 56%,” says Mr Francl. “Unlike income and cash receipts, which fluctuate up and down over the years, most expense categories tend to compound higher year after year.” There are corps such as Cargill, ADM and ConAgra are factored into this too, of course. I'd be interested in finding a break down of farm revenues so I can see what goes to the mega-corps vs. the family farm. I talk to some farmers in the NW Ohio area and all this "record profit" stuff doesn't seem to be in this area.

Issachar

[Bernardd]

I'm sure at any given time and at any given place, there are farmers making record profits and farmers losing everything.

[beammeup]

THats exactly right Bernard! All those farmer suicides are just normal business practice in our wonderful country. People kill themselves over their failing farms all the time, hey its been happening ever since this country was started, so what are we worried about??? And we know for a fact that global warming has NOTHING to do with it cause Rush Limbaugh says so therefore it must merely be a market fluctuation and therefore will resolve itself soon!! Edit

[Mitsy]

I wonder if crop insurance can help? Surely authorities should realise that you cannot leave farmers to the vagaries of the weather, to the extent they feel trapped in their circumstances and take their own lives?

I feel astonished that in this day and age of remote sensing satellites that can map out the fate every acre of land on the earth, the authorities did not respond till so many farmers were taking their lives.

I can understand farmer suicides in a poor overpopulated country like India where most small farmers live on the brink of poverty even in good times...but Australia?! Could it be the place is so big it's difficult to keep track of folks out in the isolated places? :idunno :scratch

SumSam

I live in Australia and my parents were small produce farmers but are now retired. As one who used to eb on the land I ahve continued to follow the plight of our farmers in the news and through family & friends still on the land. I have posted here about our Winter Crop failure and I thank those who have prayed for us.

First you have to understand, historically or since Colonisation Australia has always been an Arid Country. It is the most Arid Continent in the World. So lack of rain and droughts have always been part of our farming experience. Up until now we have been able to store water for long periods of drought as we have always in the past had years of good rain in between these droughts. We have been hanging out for these drought breaking rains to replenish our River Systems and Dams. Some areas have had these rains but not for the vast majority of Rural areas.

Over the past five to ten years the government has been supporting the farmers with compenstation money to try and keep them from going under financially. Some farmers were too proud to take the government handouts. For other farmers after years and years of drought or not enough rainfall it has just been too much. At the moment the government is giving a generous payout to farmers who have to walk off their properties. Farmers in areas that have had their dams replenished with the winter rains are trying to stick it out.

Yes we are aware of the problem. The governments both State and Federal have tried to help out with financial aid and tax breaks. Communities and charities have set up fund raisers to help but it can't replace the one thing farmers want most of all. These proud farmers want rain to be able to grow their crops, feed their livestock and earn an income that pays their bills and debts.

Also no amount of money can replace much needed rain. Too much of our land is affected there are no areas the farmers can move to that has rainfall that could sustain crops at the moment, not even the Coastline which gets most of our rainfall.

I hope this gives you a better insight into what is happening here in Australia.

Australia has not been ignoring our own farmers. We are keenly aware of how this affects us as a Nation. The World has only just caught up with our local news. It has been in our headlines for years and years now.

Just like the rest of the World we need repentance in this Nation for God to restore our Rains in Season and heal our land. May God have Mercy on us all in these End Days.

2CH 6:26 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

Thanks for your care and concern. Yes it is hard to hear and watch the fulility of the whole situation. However, we need to turn to God only He can help us.

[SumSam]

I hope this gives you a better insight into what is happening here in Australia.

Australia has not been ignoring our own farmers. We are keenly aware of how this affects us as a Nation. The World has only just caught up with our local news. It has been in our headlines for years and years now.

Just like the rest of the World we need repentance in this Nation for God to restore our Rains in Season and heal our land. May God have Mercy on us all in these End Days.


Thanks for your care and concern. Yes it is hard to hear and watch the fulility of the whole situation. However, we need to turn to God only He can help us.

Thanks for explaining, Mitsy! :hug I'll be praying for all the farmers.

[Issachar]

Mitsy, I so want to tell you thanks for the 2 Chron. verse you posted!

Blessings to you and the farming folks you know.

Issachar

[TomT]

Please stay on topic about farmer's struggles - any discussions about Rush L. are best conducted in Politics 2008

[beammeup]

Okay...I was trying to stay on topic because the liberal conspiracy of global warming is supposedly the reason for the drought which according to...people...is really just a fluctuation. The last fluctuation like this was about 127 years ago.....