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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Corn

Yesterday I called an orchard in New Jersey to hear the picking schedule for some local fruits and vegetables. A friend of mine gave me a heads up that it was time to pick some peaches. On the recorded announcement the message given alerted me that there would be no corn to pick. I didn't think much about it until I got into my car to drive somewhere and lo and behold, Bloomberg news was doing a report about corn. I was so taken by it that I decided to blog about it today. I had no idea the extent that the corn crop in this country can impact so many different issues and I will save the best ones for last because of the politics involved. The corn producing states east of the Mississippi have been experiencing an epic drought and temperatures in the hundreds over the last two weeks. As such, corn plants are not being properly or adequately pollinated. This is reducing the corn yield by billions of bushels. Less corn means that a major food source will be limited thus raising prices of it and related items. Beyond that however, corn syrup, high fructose sugar, cattle feed, ethanol proudction, tortillas in Mexico, soy beans as a substitute for corn thus limiting our supply globally, gas prices due to the ethanol component and the economic reality of the farmer facing such a crisis are only some of the issues being affected along with my inability to buy it locally. Incredible just how much corn impacts us all and the world. Farmers, generally are one of the more conservative and republican party oriented constituents. Many are beginning to admit that global warming may indeed be impacting the current situtation thus flying in the face of many in their party, elected officials in many cases, who deny the reality of climate change. Additionally, 70 percent of crop insurance policies are from the Federal government and the payouts will be extraordinary thus adding further burden to the taxpayers and the debt. How many of these farmers, from red states, wish to forfeit their policies in order to reign in government spending? How many red state senators from states affected, are willing to stand against the farmers and continue to deny global warming? What would Mitt Romney say? Where are you Americans for reason and truth? Sorry about the corn.

1 comment:

  1. American Farmers? With the old traditional small farms?................where?...how many??????

    ReplyDelete