Hear Direct From Farmers if USDA "Fixes" the Numbers
Mar 28, 2011
Let the questions begin. May as well start now. Why wait until Thursday?
Here’s one thing that is sure to come out of Thursday’s Grain Stocks Report and the 2011 Planting Intentions Report: Accusations that USDA fixed the numbers.
If demand has slowed and the it appear grain stocks have grown, the naysayers will contest that USDA is trying to drive prices down to entice more exports. If they are lower, they’ll say the government is just trying to inflate prices so they can drop them later and stop food inflation. Or something like that.
It happens every report.
So what do you think? Do you believe the government is fudging the numbers to manipulate the markets?
Well, we’re going to go find out firsthand on Thursday. Roger Bernard, Farm Journal Policy editor and Pro Farmer news editor, will be joined by three farmers in the lockup. We’ll see what measures they go through to keep the numbers secret and see if there is any way they can manipulate the numbers.
Look for the roundtable discussion about this later this week and hear directly from the farmers who witness if first hand.
Maybe you have a better idea of what the questions about the numbers will be?
