What are your general thoughts on the agricultural situations up to this date? Any concerns?

Question

I just want to see people`s thoughts on the matter...

Im a future agronomic engineer

Answer 1

With food prices so high and a majority of corn going to ethanol plants thats a little concerning to me.

Answer 2

Many issues brewing at this time.  Weak American dollar allows other countries to buy feed grains, food, diesel fuel, iron ore, commodities, etc.  We are exporting our products with strong world demand.  This is driving up food prices for us locally, not the ethanol situation.  China and India are emerging powerhouses in the world market.  Their populations will continue to demand their share of the world food production.  

Oil prices are being driven up by speculators on the stock exchanges.  There are 179 companies alone listed under the NYSE trading gas and oil options.  The AMEX also lists companies that trade fuel options.

Why the fuss about fuel... everything that we touch is affected by the cost of fuel.  Fuel has risen 15% annually for the past 10 years.  Anhydrous ammonia for corn production is made from using natural gas and has risen in price 5 fold in the past 8 years.  Tractors, trucks and a whole host of petroleum by-products are affected with this current economic intensity that is leaving many of us wondering what is going to happen to the future of agriculture.  

Corn needs to be designed to fix it own nitrogen similar to the legumes.  Ethanol from corn is in part a stepping stone towards celluosic ethanol and other fuels ie. solar, hydrogen, etc that will power our future.  

Our political climate, war in the Middle East, weak American dollar are having a very climatic effect on our current economic situation.  We continue to have low inflation as well as low interest rates.  Agriculture is directly affected by the course of action of these influences.

Answer 3

personally I have lost alot of faith in the agricultural industry. Especially due to the intensive and factory farming techniques currently being practiced. they mistreat animals and cram them into horrid conditions. They mutilate, genetically modify, selectively breed, de-beak, muels, dock, clip, castrate, force moult their animals all in the name of increased production. Factory farming doesn't allow animals even their basic natural behaviours. They are confined to restricted, dark and cramped stalls their entire lives.

traditional farms are being forced out of business by industrialized intensive farming companies. Giant Agri-business companies monopolise the market and out compete family farms. They can afford to sell products at cheaper prices due to the massive volumes they sell. They have the financial advantage of scientific research and genetic modification. These giant agri-business companies force animals into horrid conditions all in the name of increased productivity, lower sale prices and an increased bottom line. All they care about is profit and elliminating healthy financial competition and they continue out compete and destroy local business. This in addition to bad seasons, natural disasters, and drought (especially here in Australia) take their toll on farmers.

That's why I'm vegan, I try to avoid all animal products. I wish I could afford to grow my own organic fruit & veg, but it's so time consuming.

Answer 4

I'll just list a few...

1) Monsanto/Syngenta -  Introducing GMO products into the environment for over 15 years now.  These bio corps are bad news for farmers, consumers and the world in general.

2) Aging Infrastructure  -  Most the grain moved through the US is done by the rivers, most of the lockes havent had work done to them in 30 years.

3) Media -  The truth is being manipulated by the richest of the rich by our liberal media.  The food scare being caused by ethanol is a myth.  No facts.

4) Citizens -  Most people don't know anything about agriculture.  

5) Aging Farmers - The average age for a farmer in the US is in the 50-55 range.  I'm one of the few young guns around here.  Who will be there to step in when they retire?  Farming 2000 acres is enough, to h**l with 10000 acres.

6) Market Manipulation -  For too long has this country had cheap, quality foods to eat.  If you want to eat today, ante up.  The rest of the world wants to live like us, so now food goes to the highest bidder, too bad so sad.

7) Resistance - Since Monsanto introduced Roundup ready varieties, over 6 different weed species have become resistant.

Answer 5

I think that there needs to be a a shift in educational and agricultural design, away from the centralized farm agribiz idea. In the centralized farm idea, farm upon farm is bought up, eventually to become a huge corporate concern, often operated by another hugh corporate concern, whose products are processed by yet another. Farm goods are transported miles and miles to be processed and then transported more miles to wholesale ware houses and then transported still again to the market places till they finially reach the consumer in a super-market chainstore, with the many middlemen price increases attached to the original price of farm production. This system of farming needs to change.

The emphasis needs to focus on designing local farmer's markets that work, for both farmers and consumers. And the process of how-to re-establish multiple, small farming operations, located relatively close to consumer centers needs to be addressed.

How to manage for maintaining and improving soil fertility needs to become a big factor in farm education, as opposed to the present teaching, which instructs farmers which manufactured chemical fixes to use to make a crop survive lousy soil conditions and natural crop enemies.

The best farm owners understand that they must care for their soil, feed the soil and the soil feeds the crops. Time has proven this classic farming philosophy a sustainable one.The idea purported by modern conglomerate style of farming is to feed the crop directly, the soil is viewed as "just" a medium for holding the chemical fertilizer "crop food", which is liberally applied in this style of farming. This style of farming actually arose relatively recently in history, with the colonization of the Americas. It comes from the "slash and burn" technolgy that used forest ash to maximize the cash crop production of tobacco and cotton early on in the Eastern forest areas of the USA,  and after that the westward movement of European peoples striped the fertil prarie soils of the midwest to produce wheat and corn... and it has worked for a time, yet this style of farming has been proven to eventually "burn out" the natural fertility of crop land and radically reduce the crop carrying copacity of the soils where it is practised. This modern style is ruining many an ariable acre.

There is a need for more local farm markets where farmers can market their crops directly to the consumer, and a relaxation of certain kinds of laws which make it difficult for small farmers to sell among other things...meats and dairy products directly to the public, the kind of laws I am refering to  have been lobbied into place by huge agribiz groups who endevor to corner the markets for their style of products. Addressing these issues would revitalize the small family farm in both North America and in Europe as well as other developed countries and provide better quality food at lower prices to the average consumer.

That's my take on the needs of the general agricultural landscape of today.

Answer 6

Nostradamus claims that the ruminants will soon be destroyed because of a trans genetic time bomb. Dont worry some of us are supposed to survive.

Answer 7

farming now is in trouble. in 20 years there will be people retiring from the business, or wanting to get out. unless they have kids that want to take on the farm we are in trouble. Farms are deceasing now because of the hefty offers they get for their land. people are overdeveloping now and they will regret it in the future when they have to lay in wait to starve to death.

Answer 8

It's nice to see that those that eat are supporting more and more, those that grow using sustainable and organic production methods. It would be better to have more younger people involved in farming and gardening but that population is also growing, thanks to the education system. So much emphasis is on getting out there (in life) and making the big money and less on the basic needs of healthy food and production of it. As slow as the the increases are in people who are understanding, at least they grow and those involved care (to share the word).

Answer 9

What does an agronomic engineer do?

Answer 10

My main concern is that there is so much negative thought toward agriculture these days. I've always been proud to be a farmer, and still am, but it seems like everyone is jumping on the band wagon to bash the farmer these days. The so called environmentalists to day are doing everything they can to put down the farmer. Over the years farmers have always been the greatest environmentalist there have been. It's not like that there is not a lot of room for improvement, there is, but farmers have always been able to adapt to what needs to be done. Just remember that sustainable farming and organic farming are farmers too.