the 12 billion aid package

[Klause]

Klause, we have subsidies, the biggest one is crop insurance 50% paid by the taxpayer, (I like to think of it as getting some of my own taxes back). Also to a very small extent AgriInvest. And apparently some people can get money out of Agristabilty, how I have never figured out. These definitely affect peoples ability to bid land prices up and afford predatory priced inputs.

Sask crop insurance contributes more to the General revenue Fund than the provincial and federal portions. You know what that means? It means some of our premiums are going to the GRF also.


You know what I call that? A tax.

SCIC is a hidden tax.


AgStab has been so watered down it's a joke.

How about 17% off of all inputs?

Or a 75% interest rebate?


Or direct price protection?


Or a base rail cost competitive to world markets?


I just named some ag subsidies in Argentina, USA, and Russia

[farmaholic]

Klause, we have subsidies, the biggest one is crop insurance 50% paid by the taxpayer, (I like to think of it as getting some of my own taxes back). Also to a very small extent AgriInvest. And apparently some people can get money out of Agristabilty, how I have never figured out. These definitely affect peoples ability to bid land prices up and afford predatory priced inputs.

I don't believe crop insurance premiums are subsidized, not to the tune of 50% anyway. Didn't someone mention some of the surplus premiums ended up in Sask's general revenue fund? That might only be hearsay, I never verified the claim.

I'm sure I wouldn't be farming today had it not been for all the subsidies I received in the past.(sarcasm). What would the Ag Industry look like today if it weren't for subsidies...is primary Ag production even viable without them(sarcasm).

I would think the Industry would find away to bleed us of them if we were to recieve any substantial subsidies. To say we would capitalize it into land or machinery is somewhat incorrect, both may be a "capital" investment but land is the only one that(generally) won't depreciate and increase in value with inflation. Goods and services prices will rise to soak up any subsidies....so in essence, who is the subsidy for? There is a huge amount of people sucking on the Ag tit. Companies supplying goods and services to the primary producer don't seem to feel the need or want to run leaner....I wish I could just keep ratcheting up my grain prices like machinery dealership do the parts, shop rates and equipment prices. Then there's the fert, chem, seed, fuel, freight, basis...ad nauseam!

Edit, Didn't mean to reiterate some of Klause's post, I was busy composing my masterpiece when he posted his

[foragefarmer]

ajl

" Need to find a buyer for that overpriced Canadian land and start looking south of the border. Was some grain land (15000 acres or so) in central Montana about 60 miles NE of Billings for around $600 USD per acre back in the spring. Was due to come out of CRP in the next couple of years"

There's a very good reason why the land was originally put in the CRP program. If you feel you can show the seller how to make a go of it, what's holding you back? Lots of cheap talk?