tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13520324.post5312855605944771985..comments2024-03-21T13:15:26.838-04:00Comments on The Rural Blog: How will a Trump presidency impact agriculture? Less regulation, but questions on tradeMelissa Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558431327921705882noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13520324.post-65636908525191246332016-12-19T12:37:59.274-05:002016-12-19T12:37:59.274-05:00This blog leaves out the whole question which is a...This blog leaves out the whole question which is always central to US and global farmers: will farmers be paid fairly. (http://agpolicy.org/weekcol/248.html ) Trade, as described here, avoids that question. Farmers have long opposed free trade because it helps lower farm prices below full costs, which has happened with NAFTA, (contrary to Fraser's claims here). The data clearly show that we've been exporting at a loss, almost always vs full costs,) for decades, and the recent exception for 7 years for only 3 major crops, (corn, soybeans and rice,) doesn't make up for it. The projections are for similar cheap prices, with net farm income cut about in half, for 10 years, and with farm subsidies cut in half at the same time. (CBO https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/recurringdata/51317-2016-03-usda.pdf) The Trump/Republican trifecta farm bill is destined to be a massive failure that is spun as great for farmers and Rural America. There's really no way, (given the politics of Republicanism,) that it won't be much worse.Brad Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10797088157030883447noreply@blogger.com