LadyEllen
Posts: 10931
Joined: 6/30/2006
From: Stourport-England
Status: offline
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and you think you have problems.....
Milk in the UK costs the equivalent of USD 4-00 per gallon, or 50 cents per pint. Its sold in litres of course, but we got round that one by selling however many millilitres = 1 pint. That showed them in Brussels!
The problem we have though, is that the farmers who produce the milk are only getting around 35 cents per pint - a loss of about 2 cents per pint, at the point of production. Even with some pretty hefty EU subsidies, dairy herds are being sold off for slaughter all over the country, because farmers cant continue with the price they get.
The reason for this? Its down to the supermarkets here, who have such a strong position that it is they who determine the price at wholesale for all manner of agricultural production - with no regard whatsoever paid to the cost of production or the people who produce. Milk though is a prime example, in that the supermarkets regard offering it at low price to the consumer as a means of bringing people into their stores to buy other things - the supermarket still makes money on it, as do any middle men, its the little guy who actually does the work who suffers.
The result is, that we are no longer self sufficient in milk, and as the supermarkets continue their scouting of the markets, more of it is being imported all the time, when we have more than enough means and know how to make it ourselves.
Now, we can say that this is just the workings of the market, and that it is inevitable and acceptable for the unsuccessful farmers to go to the wall. But the farmers are actually very successful and highly efficient - it is the abuse of market position by supermarkets which has brought all this about. Furthermore, this is not like producing luxury items that we could do without - this is about producing the essentials of life. All that is required is a few poor harvests elsewhere in the world, which given global warming et al appears likely at some stage, and there will be no imports coming in and in the meantime we will have lost our means of producing food at all for ourselves.
Still, no paper shuffing rich people will be harmed in the resultant famine, so all is well with the world.
E
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In a test against the leading brand, 9 out of 10 participants couldnt tell the difference. Dumbasses.
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milk prices to skyrocket!/price where u r? - 
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