[RockJock]

Blame Ethanol, thats about all I've been hearing almost every day from the media for the cause of high food prices. I live in the midwest. Are the rest of you hearing same where you live? And if so do you believe it?

[Folgore]

Yeah, the media do seem to have latched on to that. I find it a leetle hard to believe that ethanol production is sucking up all the corn in the world, causing the price of everything from rice to milk and eggs to go up. I've heard / read a few more nuanced articles that point to a number of causes for rising food prices, including the rising price of gas (hence rising transport costs for food) and growing consumption of varied foodstuffs in newly prosperous nations like China and India, as well as the ethanol factor. And, of course, when the price of a commodity like corn or wheat goes up, optimistic futures traders will bid up the price even more, so some of the price increase is attributable to a bull market on food.

[timbo]

I don't think it helps, but then main killer currently I would say are a rising demand from China for basic food stuffs, and also the high price of oil which is not just going to affect the distribution chain, but also the cost of production - How much does it cost to fill up that Tractor.

Prog on the radio was interviewing a farmer the other day and he said his fuel bill has increased $25,000 from last year. You can't really blame him then if he swaps out from one crop to grow one that is in high demand to produce Ethanol

[jim]

$10 a gallon where I live, gas and electric up 20% and due to rise a further 30%.

We are doomed I tell you , doomed.

[PappyB]

Originally Posted by jim

$10 a gallon where I live, gas and electric up 20% and due to rise a further 30%.

We are doomed I tell you , doomed.

Kind of glad to here it's not just our country, misery loves company and all that Can't imagine what would happen here if gas hits that price....

[STARMAN 352ND]

Originally Posted by jim

$10 a gallon where I live, gas and electric up 20% and due to rise a further 30%.

We are doomed I tell you , doomed.

You pay that much for gas in the UK.....WOW..
This high cost of things will take a bite out of your spending for diecast planes.
JP

[Gort]

Originally Posted by jim

$10 a gallon where I live, gas and electric up 20% and due to rise a further 30%.

We are doomed I tell you , doomed.

I’ll tell ya, Jim ... If gas hits $10 a gallon in the good ol’ US of A, poo-poo’s going to hit the fan.

I can’t imagine how you guys across the pond are managing. Everybody around here is screaming about spiraling gas prices, and we haven’t seen the worst of it yet—not by a long shot.

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by jim

$10 a gallon where I live, gas and electric up 20% and due to rise a further 30%.

We are doomed I tell you , doomed.

Well......Come on over, Jim.......over here it's only around $3.69 a gallon! Regarding heating costs, we can all huddle together for extra warmth during the winter!

[Tundra04]

The next "expert" that says a barrel of oil WILL hit $200 or that the price of a gallon of gas WILL hit $4.00 in the US this summer, should be shot. I'm so sick of these speculators trumping these high prices because guess what happens???!! The price hits their "target." Totally infuriating. They can say "supply and demand" all they want, but the price has totally detached itself from demand.

[KG_Jag]

Ethanol would not be around in any quantity but for the government subsidies. It is basically a farm and ADM business welfare program. Ethanol takes a great deal of energy to make and you can't send it through a pipeline.

If and when it (and oil shale) become viable without our tax dollars--great. Until then we don't need another government "feel good" welfare program.