Number one commodity?

[cowman]

In the nov. issue of Beef Illustrated, John Schmidt states that beef is the number one farm commodity in Canada bringing $7.8 billion at the farmgate. The truly amazing thing is that the second highest earner is marijuana at $7 billion!
Now I don't know where John gets his figures from? Maybe he has some sort of relationship with the Hells Angels or something?
But considering that if his figures are accurate then marijuana in reality is the top commodity because you don't have to pay any taxes on it! Think of all the grain farms, hog farms, dairies and you get some sort of idea of just how big this business must be?
Sort of shows just where the Canadian consumer likes to spend his money I guess?
Maybe old Chretien has got the right idea with legalizing this dope thing. Why we might just get a whole lot of young people back in farming?

[carebear300]

Why would you be surprised? Remember how everyone thought it was just awful that the highest paying agricultural product in Afghanistan was poppies? Drugs are where the money is? It is against the law so all of a sudden it worth money!!!!!!!! Now maybe if we made the production of food in this country illegal the price would skyrocket as well. Just trying to be smart knowing full well that isn't going to happen.

[cowman]

Well carebear, if it would help I'm all for making old cows illegal! We could stand in dark alleys and sell hamburgers from underneath our coats!
But in reality I am amazed! How can this industry be so large? Do you realize it is BC's number one industry? Outpacing fishing, mining and lumber?
Consider this...one family can make a very good living from a 10ft.X10FT. area! In the neighborhood of $60,000/yr.! Sure beats flipping burgers at MacDonalds? And apparently there are a whole lot of them doing it!
I am also amazed that they have such a good market. Is the whole country going to pot?