In 1950 in the US a farm family was more likely to own an automobile than a tractor. Farmers with the literal "mule and 40 acres" couldn't afford or borrow enough money to buy much of the farm equipment. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that entities like Agway and Central Tractor (I grew up in PA) rented out farm equipment. Before this it might be the wealthy farmers who owned and then rented out surplus equipment. >From 1950 to 1980, the US kept on increasing its agricultural surpluses, with very few setbacks along the way. In the 1970s even cheaper food--at huge government expense--was government-engineered under Nixon. One idea was that the US could balance trade (out of balance because of high oil prices) by exporting wheat, corn and soy to much of the rest of the world--that is what the Republicans went to China for (they already had the Japan market locked up). The 1970s was also the time government turned to the idea of using the corn surpluses to produce fuel--I remember my shitty Ford Maverick sputtering along even worse on 10% gasohol.
Japan' s agricultural production peaked around 1960 and went into steady decline--much of it desired by the US, which wanted to export more and more corn and soy to the country. Japan proceeded, however, to US-style subsidize a huge rice surplus. It would often buy huge amounts of corn and soy to feed to animals and force Japanese to buy the rice. It would also rather destroy the rice than give it away to countries that needed it (like N. Korea). http://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/1950.htm 950 Large agricultural surpluses 1950 Total population: 151,132,000; farm population: 25,058,000; farmers 12.2% of labor force; Number of farms: 5,388,000; average acres: 216; irrigated acres: 25,634,869 1956 Legislation provides for Great Plains Conservation Program 1950-59 Commercial fertilizer use: 22,340,666 tons/year 1950 One farmer supplies 15.5 persons (est.) 1954 Number of tractors on farms exceeds the number horses and mules for the first time 1955 6 1/2 labor-hours required to produce 100 pounds (4 acres) of wheat with tractor, 10- foot plow, 12-foot row weeder, harrow, 14-foot drill, self-propelled combine and trucks. Late 1950s Anhydrous ammonia increasingly used as cheap source of nitrogen, boosting yields 1959 Mechanical tomato harvester developed 1955s Sterile flies used for screwworm control 1950s Trucks and barges compete successfully for agricultural products as railroad rates rise 1956 Interstate Highway Act 1950-59 Agricultural exports: $3.53 billion/year or 22% of total exports 1954 Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act (Food for Peace) 1950s Television widely accepted; many rural areas lose population as farm family members seek outside work 1954 70.9% of all farms have cars; 49% have phones; 93% have electricity;Social Security coverage extended to farm operators 1950s 10,051 cooperatives with 7 million members 1955 National Farmers Organization formed 1958 National Defense Education Act 1950s Debate about level of farm price support and surpluses 1954 Agricultural Act re-establishes flexible price supports, authorizes commodity set-asides, and provides support payment for wool 1955-72 Increased emphasis on rural development and renewal 1956 Soil Bank Program authorized 1957 Poultry Inspection Act 1958 Humane Slaughter Act _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
