Lots of people are complaining that farmers are getting rich from selling corn for ethanol and for receiving exorbitant subsidies. Most people haven’t taken the time to understand that it isn’t the farmer’s fault. –They are just caught up in the mix.

“Fertilizer prices are rising faster than those of almost any other raw material used by farmers. In April, farmers paid 65% more for fertilizer than they did a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That compares with price increases of 43% for fuel, 30% for seeds and 3.8% for chemicals such as weedkillers and insecticides over the same period,”

So why isn’t any one complaining about how much money the fertilizer companies are making?

There are a lot of people to blame out there. Farmers are only part of the mix. Why not:

• Blame poorly fed people who want to eat better and can now afford it.
• Blame big oil for low inventories and high prices.
• Blame US policy makers for becoming so dependant.
• Blame environmentalists for pushing for renewable energy.
• Blame fertilizer companies for taking a bigger piece of the pie.
• Blame the consumer for wanting strawberries in the winter.
• Blame US auto manufacturers for not designing more efficient vehicles.

…I bet you can think of a few more.

There seems to be a lot of blame to go around. -Just don’t blame the farmer. He’s the one that’s always been there, even when it was hard to make a profit. He is the one that had the sleepless nights when it didn’t rain. He is the one trying to grow the best crop he could for you, the consumer.

(Source WSJ, Full Article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121184502828121269.html?mod=djemITP )

Alex Tiller

http://blog.alextiller.com