Posted on 05/19/2019 11:15:33 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Iowa farmer Tim Bardole survived years of low crop prices and rising costs by cutting back on fertilizer and herbicides and fixing broken-down equipment rather than buying new. When President Donald Trump’s trade war with China made a miserable situation worse, Bardole used up any equity his operation had and started investing in hogs in hopes they’ll do better than crops. A year later, the dispute is still raging and soybeans hit a 10-year-low. But Bardole says he supports his president more today than he did when he cast a ballot for Trump in 2016, skeptical he would follow through on his promises.
“He does really seem to be fighting for us,” Bardole says, “even if it feels like the two sides are throwing punches and we’re in the middle, taking most of the hits.”
Trump won the presidency by winning rural America, in part by pledging to use his business savvy and tough negotiating skills to take on China and put an end to trade practices that have hurt farmers for years. While the prolonged fight has been devastating to an already-struggling agriculture industry, there’s little indication Trump is paying a political price. But there’s a big potential upside if he can get a better deal — and little downside if he continues to get credit for trying for the farmers caught in the middle. […]
A March CNN/Des Moines Register poll of registered Republicans in Iowa found 81% approved of how Trump is handling his job, and 82% had a favorable view of the president, an increase of 5 points since December. About two-thirds said they’d definitely vote to re-elect him. The poll had a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points. …
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Overall tone of this screed tries so desperately to eke out negative spin. They just can’t find it, though.
So, of course a farmer raising hogs is going to find a silver lining to lower soybean prices. In fact, a lot of farmers raise corn AND soybeans simply because they want to balance the swings just a little.
The soybean is everywhere, yet it is virtually invisible, embedded in livestock and poultry products. A glaring, dangerous effect of trying to satisfy the global demand for soybeans, however, is deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
https://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/environmental-policy/soybean-demand-rainforest-destruction
Why do all the Liberals want the US to surrender to China?
I have a liberal relative who never cared about farmers. In fact, she had more than a little contempt and hatred for them because they were typically conservative. Suddenly she’s worried about soybean prices because of President Trump’s trade policies. All I can figure is that either MSNBC or The View has been quoting soybean prices so she parrots it.
Farmers and ranchers know that God must give them the sun and the rain or all of us starve. That basic dependence on God gives them a solid foundation for living with the adversities they face. They will come out all right, which is crucial to our country. This tiny group of super-productive citizens provide food for millions in our country and around the world.
Give thanks.
It is conveniently overlooked that grain lost over 50% of its value under Obama. Trump is restoring markets.
It is conveniently overlooked that grain lost over 50% of its value under Obama. Trump is restoring markets.
Point out that during Obama’s reign farmers lost over 50% of the value of their grain. Farmers are much better off now with Trump trying to restore those markets.
How many decades do you think it’ll take before AP makes that correction?
They never will but it is up to those of us that know the truth to point it out at every opportunity.
one reason China behind China not buying a lot of soy beans is that soy beans are fed to pigs: and China is in the middle of an African swine flu epidemic and is killing a million pigs to try to stop it from spreading.
To hell with the Chinese. Any way we can buy American only products we will attempt to do so.
Sorry to say this but agriculture is the ghetto economy. Low profits, low value added the real muscle of the economy is manufacturing. That is where the real wealth is created.
Farmers are politically over represent snow flakes. Tax breaks and subsidiaries for 4% of the workforce. I don’t get it.
What a majority does not support is forever war-mongering. President Trump needs to focus on the trade war.
Maybe without the USDA in the way, small farming can boom again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.