Many years ago in economics classes there was an old joke, very un-pc, about fluctuations being the bane of economic systems. Currently we are seeing fluctuations in every scope of economic life.
The wild gyrations on the stock markets - the ups and downs in the banking systems - the rapid rise and fall of oil prices - interest rates being slashed - house prices plummeting - the super swift slide into recession and the spectre of hyper-inflation being replaced by the spectre of rapid deflation.
All in all this is a time of unparalleled fluctuations in business and economic systems. There's no talk of gentle landings now.
In the mushroom world the swings and gyrations too are being felt. In the US which seems to be experiencing the maximum buffeting, at present, the massive Quincy Farms in Florida is reportedly going to the wall.
One industry observer was ".. surprised that a farm that produces 15 to 20 million pounds of mushrooms annually would close like many smaller farms in the state"; and "thought farms like Quincy would be able to withstand business fluctuations."
The fluctuations assailing the global economic system may well, like a weather system, get more chaotic and unpredictable.
Let's hope we've seen the worst of it - but don't bet that we have.
We can be sure that the wind of economic recession will blow hard through the island of Ireland too.
