The price vs. income debate is raging again as Congress considers the '95 farm

摘要

Doran Zumbach admits he's no math genius, but he knows a few things about his bottom line. Over the years the Iowa farmer has seen prices go up and down for a bushel of his corn. While the higher prices were welcome, he says, funny thing was that theydidn't always add up to more money in his pocket at the end of the year. In fact, it often worked out the opposite way: If higher prices were accompanied by less corn to sell, he ended up with less total income. "The day when price or yield was the dominant concern of the producer is gone," Zumbach says. "What is ultimately the concern today is total revenue: price times yield minus expenses."