- This topic has 12 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 5 months ago by
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There’s a fact check article on snopes dot com explaining why this is all false
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From the Peterson Farm Brothers on Facebook on destroying crops.
https://www.facebook.com/PetersonFarmBros/videos/344018297428075 -
Yes. Agricultural producers are being paid to destroy crops.
However, this is not a new practice.
Remember when the dairy industry had such a surplus, that dairy farmers were literally pouring milk down the drains, due to closed brick and mortar schools, and restaurants? Those producers were compensated for that loss.
Now, when we start talking about row crops and such, yes. The same does happen. Many times the Fed government will basically financially incentivize destroying crops. To where the producer is paid more money to destroy the field, than they would receive for that product at market.
We produce pecans and lamb. Pecans are an every other year crop, and I can personally attest that our USDA service center contacted us in late spring, that the federal government would subsidize our pecan harvest, if we did not sell to the open market. Now, we typically do not. We are a very small producer, only around 8-10,000 pounds. We did not take the payment, because we don’t sell to the market. Our nuts are sold to a local pecan facility.
On the sheep end, we also are a small producer, and sell locally. We haven’t experienced being asked not to market our lamb/mutton.
I don’t fully understand the reasoning behind it. I think it has something to do with stabilizing the prices of commodities on the open market – to not be as reactive to actual crop production. Meaning, if corn has a great year nationwide, and is in abundance, that would cause the prices of corn to fall. Corn, especially, is almost in EVERYTHING from fuel, to plastics, to junk foods. However, if a portion of that corn is destroyed, and never enters the market, then the available bushels are somehwat consistent from year to year, and thereby stabilizes the price. That’s my THEORY.
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My relative is a crop consultant. He advises farmers regarding fertility and pest control. He and his coworkers are in contact with hundreds of farmers. I’ve asked him
several times if he’s heard anything about this and each time he has said no. He works in California, so if this is happening in other parts of the USA, he would not know. Like others have mentioned, there are times when farmers are paid if there is a surplus or if something happened to their crop, but he has not heard of any farmers being paid to destroy their crops like what is being portrayed by some on social media. -
in the video, the one guy said a couple things that weren’t true, for one, the material he was showing that he claimed he’d just received from the government was dated January 2018, i stopped the video and saw the date, another flaw, he claimed the government department of Hydrocarbons contacted him? there is no such department.
one thing i think we need to remember just because someone posts a video and says they’re a farmer burning their crops or what ever, doesn’t mean they’re being truthful. i could make a video and say i’m a fairy princess, it won’t make me one.
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I just wanted to share a link to Snopes about us page since someone mentioned it was just a guy and his wife. There is an independent dedicated team, started by a husband and his wife. I think it’s important to have independent, non-big money funded fact checking. You can click around to see the names of the team, FAQs about their process, etc. https://www.snopes.com/about/
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