The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

Commercial Agriculture Will FailWhen the concept of commercial agriculture first appeared, Iopposed it. Commercial agriculture in Japan is not profitable for thefarmer. Among merchants the rule is that if an article which originallycosts a certain amount is further processed, an extra cost is added whenthe article is sold. But in Japanese agriculture it is not so straightforward.Fertilizer, feed, equipment, and chemicals are purchased at prices fixedabroad, and there is no telling what the actual cost per pound will bewhen these imported products are used. It is completely up to themerchants. And with selling prices also fixed, the farmer's income is atthe mercy of forces beyond his control.In general, commercial agriculture is an unstable proposition. Thefarmer would do much better by growing the food he needs withoutthinking about making money. If you plant one grain of rice, it becomesmore than one thousand grains. One row of turnips makes enough picklesfor the entire winter. If you follow this line of thought, you will haveenough to eat, more than enough; without struggling. But if you decide totry to make money instead, you get on board the profit wagon, and it runsaway with you.I have been thinking lately about white leghorns. Because theimproved variety of white leghorn lays92