Garbanzo Support Prices

 If garbanzo beans disappeared from the grocery store shelves, I can tell you that one member of my family would shrivel up and blow away. I have an 18 year old daughter who, surprise, surprise, is crazed about keeping her weight in check and so she eats tons of garbanzo beans and other vegetables to maintain that goal. However, garbanzo growers aren’t considering government support as being particularly hefty. The farmers who grow them have waited patiently to participate in a federal farm program called a marketing loan. This program is designed to set minimum crop prices for producers and provides money to those who can't sell their crop for that amount. The loan rate garbanzo producers hoped for from Congress is 18 cents per pound. Congress agreed to fund the program but set the rate at 11.28 cents per pound.

 Jim Evans is a Genessee, Idaho farmer who grew chickpeas for more than three decades before recently retiring. His rule of thumb is that chickpeas can’t be grown unless he gets 18 to 20 cents per pound. on the board for them.

 I recently talked to him about why the feds set the price so low: “The big thing is is that there is no money. There’s no money in the federal budget. So they let us get into the program so once you get your foot in the door, then maybe the next time you can get something.”