Job Losses DEEPEST in Agriculture

[madmax]

http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/issues/IS...;issue=02112009

Job losses deepest in agriculture: StatsCan

Staff 2/11/2009 2:30:00 AM

Canada's agriculture sector lost more jobs on a percentage basis in 12 months' time than any other employment sector in the country, according to Statistics Canada.

The federal statistical agency reported Friday that about 307,800 people were employed in the ag sector in January 2009, down from 316,200 in December 2008 and down by 32,600 from 12 months previous, for a 12-month percentage loss of 9.6 per cent.

[Progressive Tory]

http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/issues/IS...;issue=02112009

That surprises me, and I don't quite follow the logic here:

"...the job losses in agriculture are due in part to the evolution of the industry, with farmers aging and farm size increasing."

What do old farmers and large farms have to with it? Wouldn't that increase the need for agricultural workers?

[Topaz]

Since I come from a farming family, small town Ontario, it probably means that usually the old farmers retire to the city but they give the farm to the son but if no kids want the farm then its sold. Large farms , take longer to work and more money to operate. Farming is only industry that has always gotten more hand outs from Ottawa that no other industry. Farming is concerned seasonal, so workers can get EI.

[Oleg Bach]

Agriculture? Doesn't that mean the domestic supply of FOOD - the stuff like water of life that keeps you alive? We all scramble and panic sending billions to auto makers to keep a few executives and seniour share holders afloat - people who do absolutely nothing to sustain life, yet we do not send in billions to feed ourselves and our children? Something is tradgiclly askew here! What will happen if the present trend, which is the steady evapouration of the false lubricant of human existance - MONEY finally becomes worthless and we can not bribe those in warmer climes to fuel up their machines and bring us our supper from a thousand miles away? Lunitics! What the hell are we thinking - you do not dispose of your food growers like they are grapple grumet manufacturers.

[Michael Hardner]

Larger operations can be run by corporations who get low wage workers to work the fields.

[Oleg Bach]

Larger operations can be run by corporations who get low wage workers to work the fields.

Reminds me of Stalins collectivizatin of farm land...just a western corporate version. So who is going to own these vast tracts of food growing land? If you have not noticed - asians are buying up huge parcells of property. So now that we are dependant on Mexico --- soon we will be dependant on China - who will own the food - who owns the food owns you.

[Huston]

That surprises me, and I don't quite follow the logic here:

"...the job losses in agriculture are due in part to the evolution of the industry, with farmers aging and farm size increasing."

What do old farmers and large farms have to with it? Wouldn't that increase the need for agricultural workers?

No because big-agri has taken over. And with their genetically modified seeds, they have patents on them and cause trouble for other farmers if the randomnly cross-breed. Look up the Monsanto (the terminator seed). Agriculture has become unfeasible, and the subsidies make the matters worse. Another problem is growing the world food.

Most of Canada food is cereal grains (one of which, corn is going to be used for ethanol), this does not require much labour anymore. And the grains are not even that healthy, that is why they are cheap and not economically sustainable and needs to be subsidize. It is weird.

Agriculture mainly benifets large corporations, and they still get the subsidies.

[Oleg Bach]

That surprises me, and I don't quite follow the logic here:

"...the job losses in agriculture are due in part to the evolution of the industry, with farmers aging and farm size increasing."

What do old farmers and large farms have to with it? Wouldn't that increase the need for agricultural workers?

No it's not! Farmers have always aged - and their sons and daughters usually took over - but the banks and corporations connected to the banks drove the family farm into the ground...diswading the next generation from continuing...our system killed the family farm. "Evolution" of the industry.....what was wrong with the natural intelligent design that was once the family farm? - This is a de-evolution of the industry - and lastly --- farming was never called an "industry" and food is not an industry - it is a neccesity - industry creates things - land creates life!

[eyeball]

Yes, people will still need to eat. Oh well, they can always eat cake I guess...or perhaps a nice bit of dogfish

[Oleg Bach]

Yes, people will still need to eat. Oh well, they can always eat cake I guess...or perhaps a nice bit of dogfish

This problem has being going on for years. The issue is nutritional atonomy. With internationalism on the march to global government - Is it wise to let those that do not know or care for us control our food and water? I think not. Something should be done - a nation that can not feed itself is not a nation. The core and foundation of freedom is the abilty to support yourself. You can not eat money. The only real support is physical - and were are physical...eventually if this trend continues - we will be at the mercy of those we did not elect. It's doubtful that the controllers of food will show sympathy for you when you are hungry - men with full stomachs suffer a great disconnect with those in need...we see evidence of this disconnect all over the world. Don't think that famine can not happen here! This could if it goes bad lead to artifical depleation of a resourse - human resourse!

[eyeball]

This problem has being going on for years. The issue is nutritional atonomy. With internationalism on the march to global government - Is it wise to let those that do not know or care for us control our food and water? I think not. Something should be done - a nation that can not feed itself is not a nation. The core and foundation of freedom is the abilty to support yourself. You can not eat money. The only real support is physical - and were are physical...eventually if this trend continues - we will be at the mercy of those we did not elect. It's doubtful that the controllers of food will show sympathy for you when you are hungry - men with full stomachs suffer a great disconnect with those in need...we see evidence of this disconnect all over the world. Don't think that famine can not happen here! This could if it goes bad lead to artifical depleation of a resourse - human resourse!

Deplete human's? I don't think so, there's huge vast swarms of people out there, so many you could walk on their backs forever without ever touching the ground. We can always eat people if we run out of other food sources, starting with the fat ones.

I get paid substantially more for any jumbos I deliver and they can pile up really fast when the bite is on. Speaking of which I wonder what would work better, bait or lures?

[Michael Hardner]

Olech,

Reminds me of Stalins collectivizatin of farm land...just a western corporate version.

What do you think WAL MART is ? It's the Soviet idea realized with American management practices.

So who is going to own these vast tracts of food growing land? If you have not noticed - asians are buying up huge parcells of property. So now that we are dependant on Mexico --- soon we will be dependant on China - who will own the food - who owns the food owns you.

Right. Just like Mexico and Costa Rica own us now.

Food comes from a lot of different countries, unlike oil.

[Progressive Tory]

Most of Canada food is cereal grains (one of which, corn is going to be used for ethanol), this does not require much labour anymore. And the grains are not even that healthy, that is why they are cheap and not economically sustainable and needs to be subsidize. It is weird.

Agriculture mainly benifets large corporations, and they still get the subsidies.

Oh, Ethanol. The boondoggle of the 21st century. It takes more fossil fuels to create ethanol than the energy obtained from the product.

The federal gov't is pouring money into it's production, despite the fact that we are decades away from it being a viable option. It does help big business and corporate farms, but not the average farmer; and is an environmental nightmare.

[Progressive Tory]

No it's not! Farmers have always aged - and their sons and daughters usually took over - but the banks and corporations connected to the banks drove the family farm into the ground...diswading the next generation from continuing...our system killed the family farm. "Evolution" of the industry.....what was wrong with the natural intelligent design that was once the family farm? - This is a de-evolution of the industry - and lastly --- farming was never called an "industry" and food is not an industry - it is a neccesity - industry creates things - land creates life!

Exactly. Farmers have always been held in high esteem. Long hours, hard work. It's a dying breed, much to our detriment.

[Oleg Bach]

Exactly. Farmers have always been held in high esteem. Long hours, hard work. It's a dying breed, much to our detriment.

Someone who used to dedicate their lives to producing good food should be respected as much and if not more than a senior exective at GM....oooops bad comparison. Here is the glitch in collective corporate farming...low nutritional quality of produce. Cracked an egg this morning..and I am old enough to notice the difference in todays egg and those produced privately by the individual operator....The shell was paper thin...todays modernist youth would believe that all eggs have always been as such .....and will not complain about quality...If the shell lacks the basic natural compounds to be the real protective casing that it was supposed to be - then I would assume that the contents of the egg has changed and is less nutritional...corporate farming by produce high volume but it will never produce quality...the prideful and diligent man and woman of the land still produce the best.

[madmax]

BUMP.

Blueblood. I see your around again. Bumped this up for you to comment on.

[blueblood]

BUMP.

Blueblood. I see your around again. Bumped this up for you to comment on.

What's to comment on, yes there is job losses. The Ritchie bros. catalogue keeps getting thicker. I'd say it's retirement. However, ag biz is still hiring. The percentage looks high because the amount of actual farmers is small and the attrition rate keeps growing.

And then there are the inane comments about GMO's. I don't like the plant breeders thing, but if they want to pop in a terminator gene, well then that's their right. However that will all be moot in about say 5-10 yrs. when the patent comes off of the roundup ready gene.

Then there are the comments about ethanol that just make my eyes roll. There is a gov't study saying that it's energy balance is good. Then there is the job creation, and increase of value in our exports. But here's the real kicker, ethanol production right now is at high levels still, and grain prices are 1/2 of what they were last year, yet still profitable. I'd say that the "food inflation" deal is a myth.

However, I have learned my lesson about high fuel prices, to offset this problem, I plan on investing a boatload of money into oil companies to offset my fuel bill. I think Imperial Oil pays good dividends.

[Alta4ever]

Then there are the comments about ethanol that just make my eyes roll. There is a gov't study saying that it's energy balance is good. Then there is the job creation, and increase of value in our exports. But here's the real kicker, ethanol production right now is at high levels still, and grain prices are 1/2 of what they were last year, yet still profitable. I'd say that the "food inflation" deal is a myth.

However, I have learned my lesson about high fuel prices, to offset this problem, I plan on investing a boatload of money into oil companies to offset my fuel bill. I think Imperial Oil pays good dividends.

Wow a common sense aproach, don't see this much anymore.

[Oleg Bach]

Never liked the idea of genetically altering food seed. To make sure that the mature plant does NOT produce a seed that you can have as nature intended to produce next years crop..This is done in Africa. They sell the poor seeds and the poor grow food taking in part the mature seeds for next year - but - they are incapable of sprouting..So the poor bastards have to take their pennies and go to the seed company to buy more perverted seeds ----- There is no other evil on earth greater than what I described - and those that subscribe to this system as legitimate profit taking should be executed...that is harsh - but what right does one man have to black mail another though hunger? Disgraceful.