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Lois Codling wrote:
> Bear in mind that the sunflower fields had just been sprayed the day
> before the dead hawks were found, and the birds had eaten the dying
> locusts. This really doesn't say anything about the long-term effects
> of the pesticide on the sunflower seed which we feed our wild birds.
> (Don't get me wrong - I don't like pesticides!)
>
> Lois Codling
Hi All, Feb 24, 2008
One should remember that without pesticides more food would go to
the locusts, or other crop pests, and less to humans, birds and other
pets. Offhand I would rate the positive/negative ratio of pesticides
(when used as directed) at about 1000:1.
About 60 years ago, farm help earned $0.25 an hour and eggs were
$0.75 a dozen; poor by modern standards but undreamed of wealth compared
to the dirty thirties. The past may seem pleasant when visiting a Ye
Olde Farme but going hungry is no barrel of laughs.
Even with the exceptional productivity of modern agriculture, world
grain stocks are down to ~50 days of consumption (the lowest since the
1970s), the price of durum wheat in the US has increased 7-fold over the
past 2 years and spring wheat is nearly $15/bushel. So as long-term
supply contracts expire we may expect food prices to increase.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
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