Any concerns about food shortages?

[Commonsense]

Morning news showed a brief clip of a tractor plowing crops under.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Are you signing up to harvest, as in today? Or just hoping someone else will?

I have a stable and very adequate income. I don't need the work. Somebody will, and if they don't then the wages will have to be raised. Remember those market forces all the conservatives have so much faith in?

I grew up in Stockton, CA, heart of the tomato, asparagus, and orchard fruit world. I picked asparagus, cherries, peppers, and peaches as a teenager. My friend's father was a field manager for Tillie Lewis Cannery and invented the tomato picking machine before we hit the fields or we would have been picking them too. I worked right alongside the braceros. I know what the work is like. My 20 year old son didn't look like he was finding a job, so I found him one picking cilantro. He made $1600 in two weeks, and then he got a better offer.

The point is that the market will adjust. And don't trot out that thing about prices doubling or tripling due to increased labor cost. Harvest labor is less than 20% of the cost of production. Double the cost of labor and prices go up maybe 20%.

 

[E4mafia]

I still see big WINCO trailers driving around Hillsboro so I assuming we are fine for now.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Legal migrant work permits are a huge part of the agribusiness in this country. Talk to a law abiding farmer.

I think there is plenty of room in the regulations to allow guest workers where necessary.

For weeks FAIR has called for the issuance of such a moratorium under broad executive authority that was strongly reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in 2018. Section 1182(f) of Title 8 of the INA states: Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or non-immigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem appropriate.

While this is an encouraging announcement, details remain murky. Would the upcoming EO affect all permanent immigration categories? Are guest workers included, or are some categories exempt? How long will it last? We'll see. Despite reaction by the media figures, Democrats, and open borders groups, the idea to pause immigration is widely supported by the American people.[/I]

 

[E4mafia]

Trump's executive order suspending immigration will only apply to green cards

The order will exempt programs that are frequently targeted by anti-immigration activists who claim that they encourage companies to hire foreign employees who will work for less money than equally qualified Americans.

www.newsweek.com

Going with the above it states its 60 days and:

"Prior to Tuesday evening's announcement, administration officials stressed to Newsweek that foreign workers in certain sectors deemed "essential"—such as agricultural workers and medical professionals—would not be impacted because of the importance of the food supply and the availability of doctors, nurses, and other front-line medical workers to the nation's fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic."

Googling shows most these are at least within the day to a few hours ago.

 

[The Heretic]

The world's biggest food company says prices are going even higher

The world's largest food and beverage company is introducing even bigger price hikes as commodity and transportation costs surge.

www.cnn.com

 

[Certaindeaf]

I was just at winco and they haven't had bulk peanuts for three weeks.
Thankfully I have about ten pounds in the fridge and about twenty big jugs of peanut butter. Because I like peanuts.

 

[The Heretic]

I was just at winco and they haven't had bulk peanuts for three weeks.
Thankfully I have about ten pounds in the fridge and about twenty big jugs of peanut butter. Because I like peanuts.

I no longer buy from the bulk bins at Winco - I've had problems with pests in the food.

I have noticed various foods I buy regularly have increased in price over the last 6-12 months, by 10-20%, some less so.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I no longer buy from the bulk bins at Winco - I've had problems with pests in the food.

I have noticed various foods I buy regularly have increased in price over the last 6-12 months, by 10-20%, some less so.

Yea, I only buy nuts from their bins.

 

[The Heretic]

Yea, I only buy nuts from their bins.

I suppose if you keep the nuts in your fridge you might not have the problems I have had. I used to buy roasted corn, sunflower seeds, etc., from their bins, and kept them in sealed containers at work to munch on, then had problems with pests.

 

[JB11rx]

Heard a rumor from a friend that distribution trucks are stopping in Albany because they do not have any food to deliver.

That is all the info I got and I am wondering if any one can confirm or debunk?

 

[American123]

Since this country throws away more food than many other countries produce at all, I'm not worried about food shortages. That being said, I have calculated family and I could eat for at least 6 months very comfortably with what I have in storage (because I like insurance) and with that thought process in mind, since many American families don't keep more than a few weeks of food on hand. Things would turn to crap with two way ranges way faster than I would ever run out of food. Once the two way ranges started, there would be more food available.

 

[The Heretic]

As food prices soar, big agriculture is having a field day

How long will it last?

www.economist.com

 

[The Heretic]

Since this country throws away more food than many other countries produce at all, I'm not worried about food shortages.

People throw away food because they feel it is readily available in stores and restaurants. The amount spent on groceries vs. that spent on food at restaurants/etc., is about $4 vs $3

If food production were reduced by a significant amount, especially if it were reduced across the board due to fuel and other supply shortages, the shelves in stores would be bare within days.

People who have months worth of supplies would be ok, but the average US household.

Many households have 3-5 days worth of food on hand, few have more than several weeks worth. I would predict that should there be a food shortage across the board, then there would be less food wasted, but there would still be shortages.

The pandemic has provided us with a glimpse of what could easily happen with regards to shortages and the economy. Those who ignore the lesson, which is the majority of the populace, will suffer in the future.

 

[American123]

People throw away food because they feel it is readily available in stores and restaurants. The amount spent on groceries vs. that spent on food at restaurants/etc., is about $4 vs $3

If food production were reduced by a significant amount, especially if it were reduced across the board due to fuel and other supply shortages, the shelves in stores would be bare within days.

People who have months worth of supplies would be ok, but the average US household.

Many households have 3-5 days worth of food on hand, few have more than several weeks worth. I would predict that should there be a food shortage across the board, then there would be less food wasted, but there would still be shortages.

The pandemic has provided us with a glimpse of what could easily happen with regards to shortages and the economy. Those who ignore the lesson, which is the majority of the populace, will suffer in the future.

Production outpaces consumption, if that changed, there would be issues, but stores being bare within a day during panic isn't a production issue, it's a logistics issue.

If we had a serious long term logistics issue, that obviously could be a major problem, but thankfully people who work for a living are incentivized to keep doing that.

 

[Member 34319]

I'm not sure if it is because there are not a lot of Walmarts in the area, or Walmart's are struggling, but the Walmart in Forest Grove looks like it has been ransacked. Almost every isle is a disaster, huge gaps of missing items. Fridgerated sections with nothing in them. Soda and beer sections empty. Toys/hunting/camping/house goods all bare shelves. Really freaking creepy, especially as everyone was just walking around like nothing was wrong. I'd normally not even be in Walmart, but surprisingly they have been feeding my 22 guns the most. At least they can feed those, as it does not appear they are feeding anything else!

 

[American123]

I'm not sure if it is because there are not a lot of Walmarts in the area, or Walmart's are struggling, but the Walmart in Forest Grove looks like it has been ransacked. Almost every isle is a disaster, huge gaps of missing items. Fridgerated sections with nothing in them. Soda and beer sections empty. Toys/hunting/camping/house goods all bare shelves. Really freaking creepy, especially as everyone was just walking around like nothing was wrong. I'd normally not even be in Walmart, but surprisingly they have been feeding my 22 guns the most. At least they can feed those, as it does not appear they are feeding anything else!

Maybe their Chinese manufacturer/supplier is behind production.

 

[Member 34319]

Maybe their Chinese manufacturer/supplier is behind production.

Walmart, doesn't buy food from China. All the other stuff, probably.

 

[Longwalkhome]

I heard Taco bell in Albany couldn't get product however our store shelves are full. Just got back from Winco and not a bare shelf in the store.

 

[American123]

Maybe their Chinese manufacturer/supplier is behind production.

That could be a few land whales stocking up.