There's a Quiet Potato War Going On

[longknife]

[Wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the food thread]

Grocers allege growers are colluding to illegally inflate prices
By Kate Seamons, Newser Staff, Posted Jun 14, 2013

(Newser) – Who knew there was a quiet potato war going on? On one side: grocers. On the other: potato growers. An unwitting victim: you, assuming you purchase the fruits of the latter from the former. As the AP reports, the Associated Wholesale Grocers has filed a lawsuit charging that potato growers have been secretly working together for a decade to illegally inflate prices. The tactics it's alleging sound like the stuff of movies: The suit claims growers have shrunk and actually destroyed harvests, and says the United Potato Growers of America (one of two dozen defendants) has used "satellite imagery, fly-overs, GPS systems, and other methods to enforce its agreement to reduce potato supply."

Read more @ There's a Quiet Potato War Going On - Grocers allege growers are colluding to illegally inflate prices

There are lots of comments to be made on this. Is it really a conspiracy? Just how important are potatoes? Just take a look in your cupboard and figure out for yourself how many potato products you eat.

 

[JoeBlam]

Spuds are crazy cheap here in Phoenix lately.....at Wally World I can get a big bag of Idaho bakers for about $4.....maybe 12 spuds in the bag....those used to cost about $1 apiece at other markets but now their prices have dropped too. With the price of everything else going sky-high, it's nice to have the lowly spud to fall back on.....one of the most nutritious foods on earth.

 

[dilloduck]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spud_gun

 

[JoeBlam]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spud_gun

 

[Zoom-boing]

Grow your own.

 

[JoeBlam]

propane spud gun

pneumatic spud gun

zip gun

 

[longknife]

Do any of you know where Potatoes originated?

 

[JoeBlam]

The Emerald Isle?

 

[longknife]

The Emerald Isle?

No "Idaho"?

 

[JoeBlam]

Idaho? before Ireland?

Spent a year in Spokane, used to fish over at Coeur d'Alene (coor de lane) and once up at Pend Oreille (pond o ray) for steel-head. Nice state....wide shallow gravel bottom rivers I prefer over the deep muddy rivers in Michigan where I came from.

 

[Mr. H.]

The eyes have it.

 

[JoeBlam]

The eyes have it.

don't go off half-baked on us.

 

[Old Rocks]

Do any of you know where Potatoes originated?

They were domesticated by the Native Americans of South America, who have many thousands of varities that grow from sea level to over 13,000 ft, and in climates from desert to rain forest.

 

[Mr. H.]

The eyes have it.

don't go off half-baked on us.

Half-baked?

Hell, I'm twice baked!

 

[Mr. H.]

Do any of you know where Potatoes originated?

They were domesticated by the Native Americans of South America, who have many thousands of varities that grow from sea level to over 13,000 ft, and in climates from desert to rain forest.

That is comforting to know... in that despite climate change we will always have taters, precious.

 

[Mr. H.]

...and Paris.

 

[tinydancer]

Potato pancakes to die for. Any one?

 

[Franticfrank]

Never knew about this...hope it won't make my french fries more expensive.

 

[editec]

This is going to be settled by the courts.

IOt might be price fixing but it all depends on whether they players formed a legal copporerative