Missourians' attitudes toward farmers and farm affairs

Abstract

"Missouri citizens look kindly on farmers. When almost 1,000 of them were interviewed by the Public Opinion Survey Unit of the University of Missouri - Columbia, they generally absolved farmers from blame for the high price of food; they declared that most farmers are under-rewarded (though thinking the largest farmers do all right); they expressed their doubt that federal farm programs add much to the cost of food; they approved of farmers' getting together to bargain for the prices of their p·roducts; and they emphatically preferred that farming stay in the hands of individual farmers rather than move into large corporations. The poll was taken in the fall of 1968. Already at that time Missouri citizens were sensitive to rising costs of food. Four out of five told the interviewers that people were spending 'a greater part' of their income for food than 10 years before. As to what underlay the higher food costs, a very smal I fraction gave higher prices to farmers as the number one reason. The most common target was extra services and sales devices. Reported almost as often was higher ware rates paid employees in food processing and retailing. Retailers and processors were blamed about equally for contributing to higher prices of food, Retailers came in for criticism by lower income people, but were defended by families with higher incomes. Three-fourths of Missouri citizens thought farmers to be underpaid. But more than two-thirds regard a large farm as profitable enough. The medium sized and small farms are the ones that fail to yield a fair return to the farmer, the public believes. Should farmers band together to bargain for the prices of their products? Of the persons interviewed, 57 percent said yes, 36 percent replied no, and the rest had no opinion."--Highlights.