I used to have six family members in farming and now I have one: re: Article

[StClone]

They all still love the farming life, self-direction, and overcoming the obstacles to succeed at the "business." But, there are forces in farming worse than hail, worse than drought, because it never disappears or lessens as the years go by. Here is an article on "market forces" which has been related to me often by my family as they rented out or sold their farms:

Farmers across rural America are facing unprecedented challenges due to skyrocketing fertilizer prices, largely driven by the monopolistic practices of a few powerful companies. Among these giants, Koch Industries stands out as a significant player with a history of influencing the market to its advantage. This troubling situation is the focus of a recent video by More Perfect Union, which highlights the struggles of farmers and the potential impacts of a looming merger that could further stifle competition.

This Billionaire Family Is Suffocating Farmers In Rural America

Farmers across rural America are facing unprecedented challenges due to skyrocketing fertilizer prices, largely driven by the monopolistic practices of a few powerful companies. Among these giants, Koch Industries stands out as a significant player with a history of influencing the market to its...

greenbuildingelements.com

 

[herbicide]

By no means is this a dispute to the above, I would say effect of advanced mechanization and technologies of farming has a large impact on all of this too. Essentially equipment/technologies require less human labor per acre, which means less people employed in the business.

 

[StClone]

By no means is this a dispute to the above, I would say effect of advanced mechanization and technologies of farming has a large impact on all of this too. Essentially equipment/technologies require less human labor per acre, which means less people employed in the business.

The market forces of size scaling (bigger farms/fewer manhours/acre) require larger machinery which is also in play but not necessarily as problematic as the monopolization addressed in the article.

 

[Cyclonepride]

They all still love the farming life, self-direction, and overcoming the obstacles to succeed at the "business." But, there are forces in farming worse than hail, worse than drought, because it never disappears or lessens as the years go by. Here is an article on "market forces" which has been related to me often by my family as they rented out or sold their farms:

This Billionaire Family Is Suffocating Farmers In Rural America

Farmers across rural America are facing unprecedented challenges due to skyrocketing fertilizer prices, largely driven by the monopolistic practices of a few powerful companies. Among these giants, Koch Industries stands out as a significant player with a history of influencing the market to its...

greenbuildingelements.com

From what I've gathered, fertilizer pricing goes way beyond market forces.

 

[BCClone]

They all still love the farming life, self-direction, and overcoming the obstacles to succeed at the "business." But, there are forces in farming worse than hail, worse than drought, because it never disappears or lessens as the years go by. Here is an article on "market forces" which has been related to me often by my family as they rented out or sold their farms:

This Billionaire Family Is Suffocating Farmers In Rural America

Farmers across rural America are facing unprecedented challenges due to skyrocketing fertilizer prices, largely driven by the monopolistic practices of a few powerful companies. Among these giants, Koch Industries stands out as a significant player with a history of influencing the market to its...

greenbuildingelements.com

Didn’t read the article, honestly I didn’t need to with the other responses. Fertilizer prices may have been nasty two years ago but this last year they were pretty affordable. Seed prices have went up at the same rate as rent along with about the same increase as fertilizer. To dial this down to one thing is pretty pee poor journalism. They didn’t do any work.

 

[BCClone]

Didn’t read the article, honestly I didn’t need to with the other responses. Fertilizer prices may have been nasty two years ago but this last year they were pretty affordable. Seed prices have went up at the same rate as rent along with about the same increase as fertilizer. To dial this down to one thing is pretty pee poor journalism. They didn’t do any work.

I now read the article. I’m not a fan of he Koch’s but this is just a hit piece. Like I said, fertilizer prices aren’t much different than anything else. Wierd how they compare the prices to the 80s and not early 00s when the kochs got in.

 

[BCClone]

Koch brothers. Lol. Fleecing the morons since the 80’s. Running your farms and electing your politicians. Get rekt.

This is actually funny for people who now have read the article.

 

[StClone]

Koch brothers. Lol. Fleecing the morons since the 80’s. Running your farms and electing your politicians. Get rekt.

I am not too up on who the Koch people are. But if it is a monopoly I have been taught that is bad. My friend in the grocery store manager has told me that 10 companies own most of the brands in his store. When they wanted to raise prices there were no alternatives often.

 

[BCClone]

I am too up on who the Koch people are. But if it is a monopoly I have been taught that is bad. My friend in the grocery store manager has told me that 10 companies own most of the brands in his store. When they wanted to raise prices there were no alternatives often.

The seed, chemical, and fertilizer inputs are controlled by a few companies in each category. Alternatives are few. When it comes to equipment, there are several short line but for tractors, combines and such there are only a few and truthfully only 3 if you want service and for some places that is 1 or 2.

 

[StClone]

I now read the article. I’m not a fan of he Koch’s but this is just a hit piece. Like I said, fertilizer prices aren’t much different than anything else. Wierd how they compare the prices to the 80s and not early 00s when the kochs got in.

I got up to speed on privately held Koch Industries. They are not a corporate entity and If anything the article was not a hit piece. From the multiple sources, I read the Kochs are business savvy, but have a long history of toxic behavior.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Isn't the Ukraine war the largest factor in fertilizer being so high currently? I heard it takes like 10 years to get a potash facility going full blast. I thought I read that Russia was like 40% of the world's potash at one point?

 

[Cyched]

I make my own fertilizer

 

[BCClone]

Isn't the Ukraine war the largest factor in fertilizer being so high currently? I heard it takes like 10 years to get a potash facility going full blast. I thought I read that Russia was like 40% of the world's potash at one point?

US potash mostly comes from Canada.

 

[Turn2]

I now read the article. I’m not a fan of he Koch’s but this is just a hit piece. Like I said, fertilizer prices aren’t much different than anything else. Wierd how they compare the prices to the 80s and not early 00s when the kochs got in.

Every exposé is a hit piece.

 

[FarmClone]

US potash mostly comes from Canada.

Yes, the K2 mine in Canada was shut down due to flooding when those those prices were insanely high.

 

[JK4ISU]

On the bright side, if the monopolization of nitrogen fertilizer increases the price, farmers will use less of it, and that will be better for water quality.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

US potash mostly comes from Canada.

The article I read was about how they were expanding that market to take the evacuated space from Russia. It would still affect prices globally I'm sure.

 

[Cyclonepride]

On the bright side, if the monopolization of nitrogen fertilizer increases the price, farmers will use less of it, and that will be better for water quality.

And worse for people who, you know, like to eat

 

[FarmClone]

On the bright side, if the monopolization of nitrogen fertilizer increases the price, farmers will use less of it, and that will be better for water quality.

The ones that make money won’t.

 

[MuskieCy]

It is all driven by the Tax Code.

Family "Trusts" acquire dirt, use Fed tax code to create a "loss", and carry that loss to offset future income. Rinse and repeat.

"Oh no, we have tax positive income,......what can we do?" Pre-pay crop expenses!!! Now we have a loss to,......carry forward.

Any farming business that incurs income tax,......get better advice.