Article

2020-04-10 Economy

‘We Can't Give Our Product Away’ - Farmers Toss Thousands Of Acres Of Fruits, Veggies As Sales Plummet

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Posted by Clem 2020-04-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 Not sure if capitalism works anymore but 16 million Americans filed for unemployment over the last few weeks and farmers cannot find someone to pick their fruit and vegetables? Go figure.

Posted by Airandee 2020-04-10 02:53|| 2020-04-10 02:53|| Front Page Top

#2 Picking fruits & vegetables is one thing, selling them is another. Or, how about letting the unemployed come and pick what they can take home--for free.
I am not so sure capitalism works anymore, either, especially when poorly run companies get bailed out by government or the Fed.

Posted by Clem 2020-04-10 06:31|| 2020-04-10 06:31|| Front Page Top

#3 This is April. Now while some crops get multiple year harvests, a lot are once a year, usually in the fall. So what food stock is multi-harvest that is vital? Zucchini?

Posted by Procopius2k 2020-04-10 09:39|| 2020-04-10 09:39|| Front Page Top

#4 The article does seem to focus more on Florida. I'm not a farmer, but I assume they can grow stuff most of the year down yonder.

Remember the free gov't cheese in the 1980's? Dairy farmers are already feeling the pain as milk consumption was going down already as people lean more to non-dairy items such as almond or oat "milk". In fact, I think one big producer filed for bankruptcy. Dean?

Posted by Clem 2020-04-10 09:47|| 2020-04-10 09:47|| Front Page Top

#5 Prime cuts of beef are going to waste as well: After the scandal of £220,000 of milk being dumped every day during the coronavirus lockdown, GUY ADAMS investigates how the meat industry is coping

Posted by Skidmark 2020-04-10 10:09|| 2020-04-10 10:09|| Front Page Top

#6 Give it away as cattle feed.

Posted by Skidmark 2020-04-10 10:10|| 2020-04-10 10:10|| Front Page Top

#7 You all understand this harvest was planned last year?

And in a second's notice, nearly all their customers and a good portion of their logistics was declared illegal? Blame capitalism my fucking ass. Capitalism is why there is a surplus.

Posted by swksvolFF 2020-04-10 10:21|| 2020-04-10 10:21|| Front Page Top

#8 Capitalism is not the problem, it's fooking GOVERNMENT.

Posted by Clem 2020-04-10 11:49|| 2020-04-10 11:49|| Front Page Top

#9 In Germany students are flocking to the countryside to pick asparagus. For those who stay longer than a day, my respect.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-04-10 12:14|| 2020-04-10 12:14|| Front Page Top

#10 Good to hear, EC, and I echo your sentiments. I seem to remember many years ago there was a "push" to have Germans work the Spargel fields instead of foreigners, predominantly Poles. IIRC, virtually all of the Germans couldn't/wouldn't deal with the hard work and washed out.

Posted by Clem 2020-04-10 12:48|| 2020-04-10 12:48|| Front Page Top

#11 IIRC, virtually all of the Germans couldn't/wouldn't deal with the hard work and washed out.--Clem
Sounds like the US city kids I had the experience of training as the "entry level position" supervisor. Unlike "farm kids" or military veterans they had no experience of working hard, or tedious labor, in their lives.

Posted by magpie 2020-04-10 13:25|| 2020-04-10 13:25|| Front Page Top

#12 If they can pick asparagus, they can pick anything. They're halfway to being ready to bring in tobacco.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2020-04-10 15:56|| 2020-04-10 15:56|| Front Page Top

#13 The solution to the choice cuts going to waste because people are using more ground beef is to grind the choice cuts.

The complaint is that they can't currently sell at a premium price, which sucks, but it's not that there's no market.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2020-04-10 16:01|| 2020-04-10 16:01|| Front Page Top

#14 I can just say that here the local markets are extremely well stocked with fruits and vegetables including first grade asparagus (grown 50 km north of Munich.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-04-10 16:05|| 2020-04-10 16:05|| Front Page Top

#15 Same here, except - for some reason - no eggs.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-04-10 16:07|| 2020-04-10 16:07|| Front Page Top

#16 No problem with eggs in rural San Diego County. It's not like the chickens can store them

Posted by Frank G 2020-04-10 16:57|| 2020-04-10 16:57|| Front Page Top

#17 There's an old Bavarian joke about a woman at the market who wants to buy eggs.

"What? 30 cents for an egg? Are you crazy?"
"Do you know how cold it is. Hens don't like to lay eggs when it's cold!"
"Oh I understand. They don't like to lay eggs when eggs cost 20 cents. But at 30 cents an egg, they just keep them coming!"

Posted by European Conservative 2020-04-10 17:07|| 2020-04-10 17:07|| Front Page Top

#18 But at 30 cents an egg, they just keep them coming!"

Heh. That's what happens when you got shell in the game, baby!

Posted by SteveS 2020-04-10 19:23|| 2020-04-10 19:23|| Front Page Top

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