Farming Footnotes

January 31, 2013

When one makes those trips to the grocery store in 2013, predictions are that food is going to cost slightly more, especially dairy, meat and poultry products. One might ask why these products may cost more this year than last.

It is a response on the part of farmers to very high production costs, so they are cutting back on production. When that happens, there is less on the market to buy and prices tend to edge upward. Also, farmers need more for what they sell to cover the higher costs that they are experiencing. Even with some higher prices for what they sell, USDA says hog and poultry farmers will have a tough time breaking even this year.

Again, one might ask why are costs going up to farmers to produce milk, meat or poultry products. They are due to continuing shortages of hay and grain caused by last summer’s drought and to the demand for corn for ethanol, which took 38 percent of the 2012 corn supply.

As consumers, people should understand that farmers are not getting rich from the higher prices they may find in the grocery store. Farmers are consumers, too and are just as interested in prices in the store as anyone else.

For every dollar spent on food in this country, the latest figures show that farmers get less than 12 cents. Where does the other 88 cents go?

Labor is the biggest cost. Labor and energy intensive jobs like food processing, packaging and transportation, all involving large amounts of labor, gobble up most of the food dollar, according to USDA. Food produced at the farm does have to be put into a form and package that consumers will buy and then brought to the grocery store for purchase.

Another interesting figure crops up from USDA that is called “at home food spending as a share of total consumption expenses” for 2011, the latest available. That figure shows Americans spend just 6.7 percent of their incomes for groceries in this country. Compare that to 18 to 25 percent or more in other countries. While Americans may complain about what they have to pay for food, they are fortunate compared to most countries in the world.

Much criticism is leveled at using corn for ethanol production as a cause for higher food prices. Actually, the direct corn value of each food dollar is small. Over the past several years, corn has represented about 15 percent of the total value of all U.S. food and feed products. Using a rough calculation, it suggests that corn’s share of the food dollar is less than 2 percent. Studies have shown there is no real relationship between corn prices and retail food prices.

While consumers may not like slightly increased prices for meat, milk and poultry products, Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Heart Association recommend a diet containing these products. There are nutritional benefits from the quality and quantity of protein, vitamins and minerals found in these products, compared to an all-plant diet. Like any good diet, eating in moderation and exercising are good rules to follow.

So when going to the market, don’t complain that local farmers are getting rich if one has to pay a bit more for some food items. It is truly amazing that just 2 percent of the population can produce enough food to feed the other 98 percent.

Parker is retired from The Ohio State University and is an independent agricultural writer.