The wholesale pork market is just as bad.
I was involved in an
online conversation a few years ago where dozens of 'porkers' were complaining that the buyers had 'pulled-the-plug' on them. After they had taken out loans to build the infrastructure, and had a few seasons of raising 'contract pigs', the buyers decided that their operations needed to be closer to the corn/soy fields. Cut the transportation costs of
feed. The buyers quit contracting, leaving these farmers high and dry to pay off these loans for facilities that now had no use.
Most had admitted that they were glad to be out of the hog business. With the quantities they needed to produce to make a
profit, it took it out of the
small farmer's realm. Seven days a week, long hours...one man could not do it all...a team was required. At the end, they were only making a few pennies per pound. Many admitted that, considering the hours involved, they were getting less than minimum wage.
It is sad that our food system has degenerated into something worse than slave labor - to even get the job, you need to invest a ton of money to build the CAFO facilities that the buyers demand. And now that you have created long term debt, the buyers can whimsically change their minds and cancel contracts.
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