[didgetmaster]

Crops are a commodity where you can't instantly ramp up or down the supply to meet demand. Most require the better part of a year from seed to harvest. If it grows on trees, it can take years before they produce.

Forecasting crop output can also be tricky. Weather conditions, pests, or other things can lead to failed crops or bumper crops.

The life of a farmer can literally and figuratively be 'feast or famine'.

[pixl97]

This is why nations tend to have things like large stores of long lasting foods, and do things like crop insurance, so that they actually have farmers after a bad year to feed their people.

It is a very risky profession and unless you want to depend on other nations for your continued survival is absolutely needed.

[novaRom]

But how do they store and preserve that surplus for a longer time cheaply? Probably dehydration helps, but it adds some energy and storing costs.

[themaninthedark]

It's not always stored, sometimes it is spoiled.

https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/mississippi-delta-farme...

At one point more was sent to developing countries as aid but that practice was curbed as it was undercutting local farmers.

[riffraff]

I think most national reserves are cereals (wheat, rice) which are naturally long lasting.

There's some storage of special products (dairy, pork, famously maple syrup) but those have ad-hoc storage.

[president_zippy]

My grandfather was a farmer in the 70s-80s, and he used futures on about 50% of his crop every year. Just enough to make sure a bad year can't wipe out the farm.