Show FOOD DOLLAR Are you won wondering de r in g where your food dollar goes with the higher food prices Surprisingly Sur p r i sin g 1 y enough the blame is placed on the farmer but the fact is farmers are the consumers' consumers best friend in as much as they continue to pro produce duce more than commercial markets will absorb b at prevailing prevailing prevailing pre pre- prices and they can cande cando dc do even better if the situation should warrant This production has kept food prices from rising higher than they are while the prices re received received received re- re by the farmer have averaged averaged aver aver- aged no more most often considerably less than those of twenty years ago The f food od marketing bill has more than doubled in the last twenty years and there are lots lotsof lotsof lotsof of rea reasons son s. s The Tho increased population has upped the volume I of food marketing by more than one Marketing services have jumped by one-half one be because because because be- be cause consumers want and are getting more sorting grading grading- trimming packaging processing processing processing sing and storage more built- built in conveniences and they are eating more and more away from home Labor costs have doubled and account for nearly half of the total food marketing bill New New plant and equipment costs along with wilh transportation materials for packaging interest rent and taxes keep climbing as do production costs for the farmer Our agricultural producers are striving to meet this price- price cost squeeze by producing more at lower cost and are and are today the most efficient efficient- producers producer in the nation They are also pushing hard for more efficient m marketing marketing market market- ing and product promotion Consumers continue to be favored by increasing incomes while farm income lags Despite Despite Despite Des Des- pite higher food prices consumers consumers consumers con con- sumers spend less of their in incomes incomes incomes in- in comes for food than any time in history and a are r e getting the best Ponder these figures as comparison F For o r all items except food the cost has in increased increased increased in- in creased 43 Transportation is up 6 60 Y o housing 42 0 rent 52 and medical care 86 while all food including eating away from home has increased about 37 over the past twenty years It is the contention of our Extension E Economist c con o n o 0 m i s t Lloyd Clement that consumers should be ever grateful to this nations nation's agriculture producers who have stayed on the job cutting ex expenses expenses expenses ex- ex and whenever whenever when when- ever eve possible and putting on the dinner tables of this nation the finest food in the greatest abundance ever known He does not hot believe many consumers would be wi willing 11 i n g to trade places with a farmer in order to have an opportunity to share the odds a a. farmer faces everyday every everyday everyday day in the operation operations of his business |