Oct 30, 2012

Farmers at the mercy of markets

Reports show that food prices spiked from 2010 to 2011. But don’t blame farmers, local agriculture experts say.

“We’re probably the only producer in the nation that does not set its own price,” Caldwell farmer Derek Vermeer said. He raises vegetables, grains, fruit and seed crops.

Farmers generally sell to wholesalers or food processors, not directly to grocery retailers. They can negotiate prices, but it comes down to how much the middleman is willing to pay. Idaho Press-Tribune

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