Food Prices Could Go Up, Again.

[WhipperSnapper]

According to a new AP article, food prices could increase again as a result of rising corn prices (which is related to rising oil prices and increased demand and prices for ethanol).

Smaller Corn Surplus Could Push Food Prices Higher

It's good for the corn lobby, I guess. In the meantime the 99.9% of Americans who aren't corn farmers are going to be just a little poorer.

 

[rudder]

This year more of the corn crop will go into gas than to feed animals... not to mention the dry conditions... my corn flakes will go to $7/box.

 

[xBiffx]

Don't buy fattening products with HFCS in it and you won't be affected.

 

[Moonbeam]

Don't buy fattening products with HFCS in it and you won't be affected.

Better yet, don't eat anything but cake.

 

[Texashiker]

There is no "could" about it, the price of food "will" be going up. You can blame the drought in Texas.

Weather forecaster are predicting the summer of 2012 to be just as bad as 2011. If that prediction is true, we can expect food prices to keep going up for the next 2 years.

 

[momeNt]

Soylent green people, it's the only way.

 

[dullard]

This year more of the corn crop will go into gas than to feed animals... not to mention the dry conditions...

Weather and oil have most of the impact on food corn crop prices. Even with ethanol included, we're still producing more and more edible corn.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Great, now we have another thread that Dave can provide daily updates on food prices as well as people being carded when purchasing vinegar.

 

[First]

Talk about a non-newsworthy story.

 

[momeNt]

Ethanol subsidies really do need to be stopped, from what I've heard ethanol is a net loss of energy, and to draw away so much resources due to subsidies to what could be the backbone of tamale america, really is tragic.

 

[dmcowen674]

9-13-2011

http://news.yahoo.com/corn-prices-rise-prediction-smaller-harvest-201257213.html

Corn prices rise on prediction of smaller harvest


Corn prices are climbing on expectations that farmers will harvest a smaller crop than initially anticipated this fall because of damage from the summer's blistering heat wave.

Prices have climbed an additional 18.5 percent this year.

 

[Texashiker]

9-13-2011

http://news.yahoo.com/corn-prices-rise-prediction-smaller-harvest-201257213.html
Prices have climbed an additional 18.5 percent this year.

Talk about a non-newsworthy story.

Anytime the price of food rises faster then the rate of inflation, there is need for concern.

Average rate of inflation should be around 3% - 4%, price of food has gone up 18.5% in less then a year. Before its over we are probably going to see food prices rising faster then wages can keep up.

 

[Yreka]

Better yet, don't eat anything but cake.

I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter

 

[Fear No Evil]

Obama told me there is no inflation, I don't question Dear Leader.

 

[First]

Anytime the price of food rises faster then the rate of inflation, there is need for concern.

Average rate of inflation should be around 3% - 4%, price of food has gone up 18.5% in less then a year. Before its over we are probably going to see food prices rising faster then wages can keep up.

Food prices have been keeping up with inflation. In fact, it has been behind inflation up until very recently. http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=food-price-index&months=360

 

[drebo]

I have a crazy, radical idea...

Don't burn our fucking food crops.

There, I said it.

 

[PingSpike]

No big deal, according to government inflation statistics the increasing costs of healthcare, food, fuel and energy are offset by hot deals on flat screen TVs.

 

[theeedude]

Maybe the food companies will put less corn syrup into products. Could be good news for our obesity rates.

 

[dullard]

I have a crazy, radical idea...

Don't burn our fucking food crops.

There, I said it.

Ethanol (ie burning corn) is made from field corn not the sweet corn that people eat. The sweet corn that people eat is being produced more and more each year in the US (see the chart I posted above).

Next...

 

[Texashiker]

Ethanol (ie burning corn) is made from field corn not the sweet corn that people eat.

Field corn is used for animal feed.

Less field corn = increase in meat prices

And people do eat field corn, just not as much as sweet corn.

 

[drebo]

Ethanol (ie burning corn) is made from field corn not the sweet corn that people eat. The sweet corn that people eat is being produced more and more each year in the US (see the chart I posted above).

Next...

So instead of wasting the land on growing a fuel that is neither effective nor environmentally friendly, use it to grow more fucking sweet corn.

Next...

 

[dullard]

Less field corn = increase in meat prices

But, non-ethanol corn production (for animal feed and human consumption) is growing (see my graph above). Since there is more and more corn NOT going to ethanol does that equal lower meat prices? Your logic fails.

 

[dullard]

So instead of wasting the land on growing a fuel that is neither effective nor environmentally friendly, use it to grow more fucking sweet corn.

It is an effective fuel, you are just plain wrong there. You can only find one scientist that says otherwise and that scientist uses 40 year old production data ignoring any gains that were made since the 1970s.

You are correct that it isn't particularly environmentally friendly.

As for using the land, that is a farmer's choice. Free markets tend to do that. Or, are you arguing the government should step in and order farmers to go against their will?

 

[xBiffx]

Better yet, don't eat anything but cake.

The cake is a lie.

 

[Texashiker]

But, non-ethanol corn production (for animal feed and human consumption) is growing (see my graph above). Since there is more and more corn NOT going to ethanol does that equal lower meat prices?

How is your chart going to fair when the figures of the 2011 drought are figured in? And the weather forecasters are predicting another drought in 2012.

There are all kinds of risk from mono-cropping, and that is what a lot of farmers are doing. They are growing corn year after year. Mono-cropping strips the soil of certain nutrients, and helps breed crop diseases.

Its just a matter or time before we see some kind of crash in corn. Whether its from disease, drought, climate change,,,,, the slightest little thing is going to throw corn production and food prices out of tilt.