Columbia Basin, Ephrata, WA | Alberta Farmer - 2/20/2016 22:16
Obviously we can't all keep producing as much as before, economics will force all but the lowest cost producers out.
My thoughts (and please feel free to refute me) would be that anyone with these additional costs would eventually be pushed out:
-Irrigation
-climate conductive to pests that are expensive to control
-not getting a crop every year due to factors such as drought, or drowning, perhaps hail
-having to burn additional fuel/energy to control wind or water erosion or manage excess water
-chasing lots of acres for lower yields
Who would be left?
I know it sounds improbable, but history is full of industries who have gone through exactly this scenario, and only a few have survived. The world may decide to quit eating meat( there is a trend already) We may have a quantum leap in genetics or production methods, or weather control. Population may peak, or disease may decimate populations.
I find it curious that both irrigation and not making a crop due to drought or drowning are both on that list. That pretty well covers all farmland everywhere, doesn't it?
I think you can add "farmland distant from markets" to that list. Probably not something a guy from alberta wants to hear, but the closer a farm is to getting commodities onto or from a barge, the greater competitive edge that farm has, IMO.
|
How many "worst place to farm" will remain in production with cheap prices
