Free Republic

Democrats in farm states are busily warning their rural neighbors that President Trump betrayed them with his tariff pressures, which may especially impact U.S. farm exports to China. China has imposed a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans, wheat, beef, pork and some other food products. Will this ruin American farm prices? Be of good cheer. The world prices for soybeans and beef are set by global supply and demand. Soybeans and beef are essentially commodities, not unlike oil. It doesn’t really matter whether China buys American soybeans or Brazilian beans because both those countries are willing sellers. If...

One of America’s earliest food crops – almonds – is also one of the most important for commercial beekeepers. Almonds depend on bees for pollination, but the explosive growth of this bumper crop taxes the very honeybees the industry needs to thrive. California’s Central Valley produces over 80% of the world’s almonds, valued at over $4 billion in 2012. The boom is poised to continue, with new food products and expanding overseas markets increasing demand to the point that no young almond trees are available for purchase until 2016. Demand for almonds translates into demand for pollination. So every year...