Costs and profit

[farmers_son]

Exactly so. Getting a job in the oil patch should not necessarily be the solution for chronic low returns in agriculture. When you refer to simple market forces you are really talking about the five market forces that I mentioned in my earlier post. The answers are there, we just need to accept that change is necessary and that we are capable of change.

[cowman]

farmers son:Who, pray tell is going to be doing all this changing? In case you haven't realized it the farm population is not only shrinking, but is aging very rapidly?
I don't see agriculture producers moving towards any kind of position where they can be "competitive" on any kind of scale like the "health industry" or major corporations. The fact is to be "competitive" you need to be organized or "mobbed up" if you will? I certainly don't see that happening? In fact I would suggest it is a lot worse than it used to be? The farmers groups and co-operative ventures are actually decreasing? Or am I wrong?

[farmers_son]

No you are not wrong. The challenge for producers like ourselves is to marshall our resources in such a way to improve our lot. You are correct to point out that in order for producers to increase their competitiveness they need to come together.

[cowman]

I find it very frustrating when barley prices are worth less than they were thirty years ago and cattle,while improved, are worth a lot less in real dollars than they were 20 years ago.
I don't see farmers moving in any way towards co-operating on anything?
A few small groups trying to establish niche markets that usually fail? I believe everyone one of us has a duty to take care of their interests in the best way they see fit? In the long run this Canadian government isn't going to stand up for us and even try to give us a level playing field to compete.
For an old guy like me it doesn't matter. I am solvent and don't really need to make a profit in agriculture, however the young person does? How can we expect young people to enter agriculture and make a go of it when the profits are either non-existent or so miserly that a job at Macdonalds looks better?
I don't have any solutions...I don't know if there are any? I think we slipped past the point of no return several years ago.
Pretty pessimistic I know.