MN milk prices shoot up

[NulloModo]

All of those articles list it as a 'potential' cause, but there is still no hard research cited for any of them related to the Atkins bit, just heresay and a (surely not scientific) survey run by a steakhouse of its customers.

Not to mention that the one article which does mention hard numbers for the increase in demand states it at approximately 10%, which would in no way lead to a doubling of price. The factors which do come up again and again as _fact_ appear to be that the cattle crop is at a near all-time low, and this BSE nonsense. There may be increased demand for a variety of reasons, and low-carb may be one factor, but an all time low in supply likely has a lot to do with it as well.

[Steve Ramsey]

All of those articles list it as a 'potential' cause, but there is still no hard research cited for any of them related to the Atkins bit, just heresay and a (surely not scientific) survey run by a steakhouse of its customers.

Not to mention that the one article which does mention hard numbers for the increase in demand states it at approximately 10%, which would in no way lead to a doubling of price. The factors which do come up again and again as _fact_ appear to be that the cattle crop is at a near all-time low, and this BSE nonsense. There may be increased demand for a variety of reasons, and low-carb may be one factor, but an all time low in supply likely has a lot to do with it as well.

I really don't unserstand your requirement for "scientific" proof.

Every analysis of the industry, every study of the state of the cattle futures market, every farm report, and every tretise on the subject from cattalmen's and dairymen's organizations all implicate aTkins.

If what you want is a white paper after a year long study from a group of white coated ivy leage professors and chemists to convince you, well, then you have no mastery of the obvious whatsoever.

[NulloModo]

What appears to be the obvious answer is not always the correct answer, that is all I am saying. Low-carb may be having some impact on the prices of things, but I can't personally (and this is jusy my opinion here) see how it could be the major factor.

It is also worth pointing out that the media and industry spokespeople often look for somewhere to pass the blame and cause a little stir more often than they look to the heart of a matter to really focus on what is going on, and god forbid, accept responsibility for poor planning that has led to the shortages that we are now experiencing.