Market Farming

["jay gee" <jgj23 AT mindspring.com>]

[Split into two parts due to message length.]

Someone wrote:
>>>>>>
 Raeford chicken plant fire - plant doors were always
 locked and many died;   USDA, paid to do their job,
 never inspected the plant for safety violations.
<<<<<<

USDA not responsible for that type of inspecting.
Local Building and Safety or Fire Department,
State Worker Safety Agency or OSHA.

Rick Williams wrote:
>>>>
> Consumer being hurt: Jack-In-the-Box; Conagra 500,000 lb contaminated meat
> released onto the market; on and on and on and on.
 
 The issue I was describing previously was the consumer being effective
 financially by concentration of industries. Not specific health issues.
 Perhaps they could be used as an argument with the Supreme Court?
<<<<

If you want to discuss issues of financial impact Rick, just say so.

I assume you meant to say affected in the paragraph quoted above,
so I will comment.

Financial impacts come in all sizes and shapes.

Economists and Finance theoreticians would argue that a
reduction in product choices available has a financial impact
on consumers by making their money worth "less," (e.g.,
it just doesn't buy as much as it used to).

Further, producer consolidation has an more insidious
side effect, it pits workers and managers against each
other within the larger organization because the benefits
of producer consolidation come from generating economies
of scale in production, packing, purchasing, etc., and
when duplicate functions exist across organizations, those
least willing to go along to get along are the first casualties.

If you say that is beneficial to the organization because
everyone should agree with corporate goals, you would
be wrong because that  type of thinking and behavior
produced unsafe automobiles, alcohol and tobacco
promotion to children, Enron, WorldCom, ad infinitum.

The downstream result of consolidation is that when a
tragic event such as the JITB tainted meat episode
occurs, the legal/litigation/judgement/settlement
outcome affects ALL producers in the marketplace by
either raising insurance rates for everyone or making
insurance unavailable.  Although a ConAgra or IBP 
has the resources to pay for legal defense, the average
uninsured small farmer certainly does not.

These reasonably foreseeable consequences mean
that new market entrants, who are most often known
for their innovations and niche/new market creation,
are held back.  This also affects consumers financially.

Need I explain further?

Jay Gee
not a farmer -- but interested in farming