"Hamish Macbeth" wrote in message
...
"Torsten Brinch"

--wrote in message ...
On Thu, 19 Dec 2002 18:28:40 +0000 (GMT),
One can't argue against all subsidy, it is inherent that each and
every specific case of subsidy might arguably have demonstrable
benefits to society. It is important to realise, however, that
it is no longer considered beneficial to society to subsidise farm
production.


I am against subidiese, they make it nxt to impossible to work in a
sensible
manner, producers being controlled by
subsidiese and rules rather than inherent logic.

Subsidy isn't illogical if you consider why it is used. If government
require a "national dairy herd", or "national sheep flock", etc. then
either these are state owned, or like state education a degree of public
funding is required to ensure the capacity demanded for political needs is
there, otherwise the capacity falls to that which can be sustained by
market forces alone. The market for fully funded education is very small
indeed, whereas the market for fully funded food is quite large. Hence
most teachers are employed by the state - massive subsidy, but most farmers
are private businesses. The only real anomaly in the UK isn't farming, but
health. Most people probably would pay for health care, but don't have to
in a direct way, hence huge inefficiencies in health care provision.
Farming is actually very efficient, yet still manages to avoid under
supply - something that public health and education services fail to do.
Water and power utilities also manage to avoid under supply at fair costs,
whereas rail providers don't. It seems to me that farming is towards the
"good guys" end of the spectrum with health and rail being "bad guys".



However farming does seem to be bogged down in a world of direct
subsidiese
and hidden buggerations
(tax allowances fuel anomolies etc) outside the control of any one
nation.

And as Stubbsy in his usual manner has pointed out in a current post,
people
are not educated to appretiate
fresh food which would give a premium to locally produced product.


If it weren't for massive subsidy most people wouldn't be educated at all,
would have no access to health care, and some would starve. Which of
course is normal, in normal countries. This one is a bit odd - be
grateful.

Michael Saunby