But the French government isn't the main source of subsidies to French farmers.

It's German, British, Dutch and Swedish taxpayers who provide the cash. And efficient producers in developing countries who suffer the pain of this insane largesse.

Thanks, Wren.

Also bananas

"And that is the very essence of socialism as an inherently faulty economic system."


No implication there that the French have the only government meddling in free enterprise, more's the pity.

Anselm

Are you thinking of things like the (former) Crow rate? (note to the puzzled: this has nothing whatsoever to do with crows, either the raising or eating of same...)

Yet, and in spite of the so-called glut, the 2005 vintage of Bordeaux has started trickeling into the en primeur, or futures, market at record prices.

Some 5th Classified Growth are already priced at at least $40 per 750cl bottle in the local futures market here in the US.

1st Growth Bordeaux producers are expected to be in the $4000+ per case (or at least $350 per 750cl bottle) for something that will bottled and deliverd in 2 years time!

At these prices, it's probably possible that a jug of distilled fuel may soon find itself on a table at your local bistro.

Actually, Sue_xx_yy, I had forgotten about the Crow rate. I have a faint recollection that it has been phased out, hasn't it?

No, I was thinking of our dairy farmers. In Quebec, for example, you cannot sell coloured margarine because dairy farmers have persuaded the government that consumers will confuse it with butter. I was also thinking about milk marketing boards and the whole notion of milk quotas.

Canadian dairy farmers were even successful in getting Canadian negotiators to argue in favour of supply management at the WTO talks in Hong Kong, and then took out newspaper ads telling Canadians that we really like supply management and that we know it's good for us.

With the exception of the Canadian automobile and aerospace industries, I know of no other businesses that are as protected from market realities as farmers are.

Anselm

Check out the rice producers in Japan.

>you cannot sell coloured margarine because dairy farmers have persuaded the government that consumers will confuse it with butter. <

We used to have that in the US, too.

The producers provided a little capsule of yellow food coloring in each tub of margarine.

There was also a thing called "Fair Trade Pricing", where the manufacturer set the retail price and no one was allowed to sell below that price.

Intrepid, you're right, and the most vocal protestors in HK were the Korean rice farmers, who are also well supported.

However, my comment about "no other businesses" was in a Canadian context. Sorry for the ambiguity.

Anselm