The raisin cartel

Yes Virginia the US has a raisin cartel at least for now. Who knew?

http://www.economist.com/news/united-st ... -curat-lex


"Since the 1940s raisin farmers have been obliged to make over a portion of their crop to a government agency called the Raisin Administrative Committee. The committee, run by 47 raisin farmers and packers, along with a sole member of the raisin-eating public, decides each year how many raisins the domestic market can bear, and thus how many it should siphon off to preserve an “orderly” market. It does not pay for the raisins it appropriates, and gives many of them away, while selling others for export. Once it has covered its own costs, it returns whatever profits remain to farmers. In some years there are none. Worse, farmers sometimes forfeit a substantial share of their crop: 47% in 2003 and 30% in 2004, for example."

That's insane. Why don't all laws sunset?x

It makes a certain amount of sense. There are thousands of raisin growers and only a couple of big time raisin processors so they can bargain down prices. Taking a healthy percentage of the crop off the market raises prices. But in a true capitalist world, if raisin growers weren't given a fair price for their wares, they would grow something else.

I think if you check around you'll find that many other crops have similar "marketing agreements". They act to stabilize the price and supply of many crops.

Grady wrote: I think if you check around you'll find that many other crops have similar "marketing agreements". They act to stabilize the price and supply of many crops.

From my link: "
And raisins are just one of 30 products subject to such “marketing orders” overseen by the Department of Agriculture. The department portrays these arrangements as anodyne efforts to set quality standards and improve marketing. But Ilya Shapiro of the Cato Institute, a think-tank, argues that the federal government is nurturing a crop of agricultural cartels.


“If private entities were doing this, it would be a felony,” notes Michael McConnell, who argued against the system at the Supreme Court on behalf of some aggrieved raisin farmers. It is not just the farmers who suffer: domestic raisin prices are higher than international ones, so consumers are victims too."

This is how America works now.

I am in many industries. Most of the items you buy are price fixed, manipulated, regulated and spit out before you can even determine a real market value.

Are we all the sudden going to deny that you can buy the laws you want and that most of America is in the midst of regulatory capture, literally because industry convinced you that you should push for it via consumer "protections".

I cannot think of a single thing that we don't pay double for as a result of wannabe powers messing with the value of things and most typing here demanded it. 2x for food, education, roads and retail goods. Hope you like being treated like a child.

Laws, particularily those that "need" clerks in large numbers to support (clerks= bureaus, courts, cops, jailors, contractors, etc.) do not go away because the camp followers need to EAT. 70% of all Americans are dependent
on this dysfunctional system and the burden on the productive sector is at the breaking point.....we see the stress in our Congress, Europe, state government, local government, etc.....long list of humans capturing humans in many ways (here via our legal structures) and exploitation in many forms........

I just planted a raisin tree, I hope it can grow at this elevation. Dont tell Europe Deltamray, my tree doesnt need the international stress, we have enough dysfunction to go around.

Hoot Owl wrote: I just planted a raisin tree, I hope it can grow at this elevation. Dont tell Europe Deltamray, my tree doesnt need the international stress, we have enough dysfunction to go around.

Raisins grow on vines under the name grape and then are dried, just had to respond to "tree."