Post by Herb on Jan 24, 2009 13:01:38 GMT -5
This is way off topic, but if you eat food, you need to be concerned, about recent Congressional Actions and proposed Government regulations.
During the past two years, decisions/laws made in Washington D.C. has dramatically increased the cost of food in the supermarket, while decreasing prices producers (especially meat producers) receive for their product and dramatically increasing their costs.
One of the most significant impacts has been the ethanol production mandates (which the new administration wants to increase by another 60%) what most people don't realize is that this is taking a significant proportion of food out of the food supply. It is dramatically increasing the cost of feed for animals, and thus increasing the cost of all meat sold in supermarkets.
These costs aren't simply being passed on to the consumer, but are hitting producers hard as feedlots and meat packers have reduced what they pay producers trying to alleviate the price increases in the super market. For example, a 400 pound beef yearling would have brought the producer a $1.50 - $1.60 a pound 12 - 14 months ago. Today the same 400 pound yearling will bring only $.80 - $.90. Some productions costs: a 50 pound sack of feed (largely corn) cost around $6.00 12 - 14 months ago, today it costs $10.00. Hay cost about $45.00 a roll then, now depending on quality $60.00 - $90.00 a roll. During the past year one of the largest chicken producers has already gone bankrupt and in Texas alone the number of beef cattle has decreased by over one million head.
Now the EPA wants to tax, beef and dairy cattle, hogs, corn fields, and land itself if you own so many acres. The proposed EPA tax rate is $80.00 a year on each beef cow . At today's prices you will pay more in taxes over a cow's usable life then what the cow is worth. Most cattle in the US is produced by what are called small producers, usually classified as people owning 100 cows or less. There was little profit if any in 2008 for most small producers, adding another $8,000.00 a year in taxes will drive many small producers out of business - and lead to a very significant impact on the availability of beef in the supermarket.
Here's a link from the Texas Agriculture Commissioner: www.texascattleraisers.org/dailyupdate/jan2009/01_23/staples.html
Wherever, you stand on environmental issues, I urge you to research the mostly unintended effects these regulations and laws are having on the food supply in the US, and to contact the EPA, and your Congressional representatives.
During the past two years, decisions/laws made in Washington D.C. has dramatically increased the cost of food in the supermarket, while decreasing prices producers (especially meat producers) receive for their product and dramatically increasing their costs.
One of the most significant impacts has been the ethanol production mandates (which the new administration wants to increase by another 60%) what most people don't realize is that this is taking a significant proportion of food out of the food supply. It is dramatically increasing the cost of feed for animals, and thus increasing the cost of all meat sold in supermarkets.
These costs aren't simply being passed on to the consumer, but are hitting producers hard as feedlots and meat packers have reduced what they pay producers trying to alleviate the price increases in the super market. For example, a 400 pound beef yearling would have brought the producer a $1.50 - $1.60 a pound 12 - 14 months ago. Today the same 400 pound yearling will bring only $.80 - $.90. Some productions costs: a 50 pound sack of feed (largely corn) cost around $6.00 12 - 14 months ago, today it costs $10.00. Hay cost about $45.00 a roll then, now depending on quality $60.00 - $90.00 a roll. During the past year one of the largest chicken producers has already gone bankrupt and in Texas alone the number of beef cattle has decreased by over one million head.
Now the EPA wants to tax, beef and dairy cattle, hogs, corn fields, and land itself if you own so many acres. The proposed EPA tax rate is $80.00 a year on each beef cow . At today's prices you will pay more in taxes over a cow's usable life then what the cow is worth. Most cattle in the US is produced by what are called small producers, usually classified as people owning 100 cows or less. There was little profit if any in 2008 for most small producers, adding another $8,000.00 a year in taxes will drive many small producers out of business - and lead to a very significant impact on the availability of beef in the supermarket.
Here's a link from the Texas Agriculture Commissioner: www.texascattleraisers.org/dailyupdate/jan2009/01_23/staples.html
Wherever, you stand on environmental issues, I urge you to research the mostly unintended effects these regulations and laws are having on the food supply in the US, and to contact the EPA, and your Congressional representatives.
