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Originally Posted by Michaelangelica
Just because the EU does it does not make it right:-
Australian, like NZ agriculture is not subsidised. Last year drought relief (1B?)accounted for most subsidies. That is after most farmers in the country had NO income for 10 years! Farmers also pay huge taxes on fuel, as well as GST of 10% on many other farm inputs & outputs such as freight.
Part also of last year's Australian figures was a continuing "dairy reconstruction scheme" where farmers were paid to get bigger or get out. Most got out, and now we have a huge milk shortage and the highest prices in donkey's years. That 'brilliant' pollies scheme ends next month.
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Then lobby your government to support Australian farmers!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michaelangelica
From your own link
Korean situation in 2002 - Korean farmers received over US 21 billion,
- Japanese farmers received over US 56 billion in subsidies
- European Union farmers US 113 billion."
USA?
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USA was either 51 or 57Billion, and that is a 2 year budget. From your link:
United States, 1995-2006
Recipients of Total USDA Subsidies from farms in United States totaled $177,589,000,000 in from 1995-2006.
Thats 15 billion a year including disaster relief (and I am rounding up cuz its really 14,799 billion and change per year). Divided up between 350 million people in the USA and thats $42.80 per person. What is Australias 1 billion divided up between what? 20 million people? Wow. That is $50 per person in Australia.
Another misleading part of the EWG link used for reference is the devil is in the details. Example Riceland Foods, #1 receipent of Subsidies.
"Riceland Foods, Inc. is a farmer-owned cooperative providing marketing services to 9,000 farmers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Riceland offers a wide array of marketing options for rice, soybeans and wheat.
Generations ago a group of Arkansas rice farmers banded together to market their crops. They created a farmers cooperative business group in 1921 now known as Riceland Foods, Inc., headquartered at Stuttgart, Arkansas. Since then, Riceland has grown to become the world's largest rice miller and rice marketer."
I remember when we were approached by corps trying to get us to sign up for co-op. Then it was Midland, which merged and became Archer, Midland, Daniels. They had money to invest in farms and it wasnt a bad deal. Many other smaller co-ops failed. US Agriculture specialists encouraged this co-op'ing as the way of the future. They were right, you could see it coming.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michaelangelica
"Farm" is such a motherhood word, and conjures up a picture of the poor family-farmer tirelessly tilling his soil for us from dawn 'til dusk. In fact Most of the money goes to the largest, and usually richest, farms, corporations and multi-nationals rather than growers who most need help.
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Yes it does. But thats because of the nightmare of paperwork. We looked into subsidies and screw that. It wasnt worth the time to fill out the paper work for our small farm. If we would have had 200 acres or so, it would have made sense. Like it did for the dairy farm that bordered us.
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Originally Posted by Michaelangelica
On subsidies hurting poorer nations
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Quote:
TRADE: U.S. Farm Subsidies Hurting Africa's Development
By Joyce Mulama
NAIROBI, Apr 15 (IPS) - In a renewed campaign, African trade ministers have urged the United States to remove agricultural
subsidies that are hurting African farmers.
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As I said, the hinderance to African competition in the 'global' market is infrastructure related, not US farm subsidies.
So you're moving to Kenya...
Water
Some houses are connected to the grid water system and some of those pipes have water in them most of the time. It is
sensible to have a large water storage tank. As rainfall is more reliable than the water department, many people connect
their rainwater gutters to storage tanks as a back-up. If mains water is not available, your tanks will have to be
replenished by water tankers.
Electricity
Nairobi enjoys fairly reliable electrical supply (supplied by the KPLC) but the reliability factor has worsened recently.
It is quite normal to have "shedding" (black-or-brown-outs) in most cities including Nairobi and Mombasa. It's mostly
an on and occasionally off subject across the country.
Corruption
Whatever your personal view of corruption, it is common in Kenya. It is certainly possible to live outside the ugliness
of corruption, but it surely makes life almost impossible.
World Wide Movers Africa -- Botswana, Burnundi, D.R. Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar
And you can ask Boersun about other details in Africa. Think Zimbabwe.
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Last year, I wrote about a documentary called Life and Debt that examined how globalization had affected ordinary
people's lives in one poor country, Jamaica.
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Jamaica has announced a request for 40,000 tons (36,200 metric tons) of rice from the U.S because it fears dwindling
supplies from Guyana.
Jamaica to boost rice production on public land, reduce dependence on imports - International Herald Tribune
EU milk imports to Jamaica:
Lifeonline
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US farm subsidies fuel Mexico corn crisis. Oxfam calls to change rigged trade rules that are hurting the poor.
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While some corn farms in Mexico resemble U.S. corn farms in size, technology,
and production practices, a more representative Mexican producer
has access to roughly 10 hectares of farmland. Indeed, according to
Mexico’s 1991 National Agricultural and Livestock Census, 61 percent of
the farms where corn was the principal crop were smaller than 5 hectares
(INEGI). Census data also reveal that only 31 percent of all corn farms used
improved varieties of corn, 35 percent had tractors, and 9 percent had access
to irrigation, a critical input to the Mexican corn sector (Nadal). Persistent
efforts to improve corn production in Mexico have raised yields to about 5.8
metric tons per hectare on irrigated land and 2.0 metric tons per hectare on
rainfed land during 2000-02 (app. table 2), compared with a national
average of just 1.0 metric ton per hectare in the early 1960s (FAO).
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications...1/fds04D01.pdf
As I said, developing nations will not be able to compete with the US, the EU or any other developed nation until they straighten out their internal issues and invest in their people and the infrastructure.
And they best get going on this now. I foresee a time in the near future when exported grains from the USA will be reduced greatly as we swing (right or wrong) towards biofuels and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
Say goodbye to the remaining forests on these island nations. Say goodbye to the mountain gorilla. Buh bye elephants and tigers and bears. But somehow it will be all the USA's fault in the global mind.
