9 votes

Harvesting in a trade war: US crops rot as storage costs soar

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10 comments

  1. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
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    1. Neverland
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      It’s not food, it’s crops. It’s mostly soy beans, so I guess the farmers could give away the raw edamame but people would have to come pick it up, and that would require harvesting, which costs...

      It’s not food, it’s crops. It’s mostly soy beans, so I guess the farmers could give away the raw edamame but people would have to come pick it up, and that would require harvesting, which costs money as well. That would also require storage, which also costs money.

      It’s really easy to make fun of the perverse American system, but I am not seeing any realistic solutions being suggested.

      Edit: realized it sounded way too snarky upon later reading, so de-snarked

      4 votes
  2. Pilgrim
    Link
    I believe Trump has irreparably harmed the US heartland. The Chinese will almost certainly not buy soy beans from us again in the volume they did in the past. We've forced them to find new...

    I believe Trump has irreparably harmed the US heartland.

    The Chinese will almost certainly not buy soy beans from us again in the volume they did in the past. We've forced them to find new suppliers and it'll be a hard sell to get them to come back to us. Farmers are fine for now because of the +$12 billion hand out Trump gave them, but that'll end as soon as political winds change. As go the crops, so goes the farm.

    5 votes
  3. [8]
    TestNamePleaseIgnore
    Link
    I don't really have much to add to the article itself except some first hand experience in its consequences. Pops has been working in a role that closely resembles that of a broker (it's a bit...

    I don't really have much to add to the article itself except some first hand experience in its consequences.

    Pops has been working in a role that closely resembles that of a broker (it's a bit tough to explain what he does - it's a role that afaik is lawfully required only in Italy) in the secotor of cereal grains, and for decades he's been working with both north and south american import/exporters.

    Since the whole soy bean debacle he's sounded more and more tired each time i hear from him; it's not that work's been going bad at all on his part, but this is giving him way too many headscratchers, and on top of that he's had to turn down a number of old time clients for what's essentially a grave outcome of some petty, selfish, poorly-made decisions.

    I'm not gonna state the obvious and say that this is hurting the lower income folks that actually grow the crops and the American people, but spare a thought also for all those that just got caught by this tide even if they have no real direct part in it, being from a completely different country and all.

    Again, apologies for this rant, but seeing the opportunity to vent really got the best of me...

    3 votes
    1. [7]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      While not true anymore thanks to Bill C-18 (passed in 2012), before that the Canadian Wheat Board was the only legal buyer of wheat and barley grains in Canada, so we also had grain brokers here...

      it's a role that afaik is lawfully required only in Italy

      While not true anymore thanks to Bill C-18 (passed in 2012), before that the Canadian Wheat Board was the only legal buyer of wheat and barley grains in Canada, so we also had grain brokers here as well.

      2 votes
      1. [6]
        TestNamePleaseIgnore
        Link Parent
        That's interesting, i had no idea Canada used to have a government-driven cereal grain market (i was gonna call it a monopoly but the article corrects me in the ise of monopsoly instead - had no...

        That's interesting, i had no idea Canada used to have a government-driven cereal grain market (i was gonna call it a monopoly but the article corrects me in the ise of monopsoly instead - had no idea that word even existed).

        Are you in the industry or did you look it up now?

        Either way, since you're here let me ask you: what kind of sentiment is there in Canada at the moment?

        I used to joke saying that you Canadians were the nice, completely out of place upstairs neighbor of a drug den, but reading the news lately it seems like there is so much going on in North America... I realise what my idea of what's going there is very much skewed from the news i read, so what's your first hand experience at the present time? Do you feel like much is and has actually changed lately (as in the past 5 years or so)?

        2 votes
        1. [5]
          cfabbro
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          I'm not in the industry no, but some of my family are Canola farmers in Saskatchewan, and I am generally aware of some of our agricultural history here, including our marketing boards. A bit grim...

          Are you in the industry or did you look it up now?

          I'm not in the industry no, but some of my family are Canola farmers in Saskatchewan, and I am generally aware of some of our agricultural history here, including our marketing boards.

          what kind of sentiment is there in Canada at the moment?

          A bit grim from what I can gather, largely due to the renegotiation of NAFTA. Part of the concessions our new Prime Minister made was regarding the supply management of our dairy industry, so our dairy farmers are not particularly happy right now. But life goes on, I suppose, and the new free trade agreement is good for us overall, IMO.

          so what's your first hand experience at the present time? Do you feel like much is and has actually changed lately (as in the past 5 years or so)?

          Other than our neighbors to the south collectively losing their damn minds? :P Jokes aside, IMO things up here in Canada are fine. Much of the damage done by our previous Progressive Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and the former PC majority in Parliament is finally being undone (e.g. funding is slowly being restored to the CBC, Canadian Gov. scientists are no longer restricted from speaking to the press, the mandatory long-form census has been restored, etc). But the US and their President is an issue for sure and the political fallout is bound to continue to effect us for years to come. :/

          How are things going in Italy? I have to admit ignorance there since I haven't followed any of your politics since Berlusconi left office. A bit like Trump, he was an "interesting" fellow too. ;)

          2 votes
          1. [4]
            TestNamePleaseIgnore
            Link Parent
            Honestly at the present time we have arguably the worst government we've had in the past 30 or so years - a span of time which includes as you said also Berlusconi - which is saying a lot. He may...

            Honestly at the present time we have arguably the worst government we've had in the past 30 or so years - a span of time which includes as you said also Berlusconi - which is saying a lot. He may have been a fool PR-whise, he may have dealt with the Russians and some North African dictators (which by the way was keeping the whole migrant situation under control - even if not in a very moral way), he may have bent the rules multiple times for his own profit, but what's been happening lately is much more damaging on all fronts. It might be similar to how the Americans have lately been remembering somewhat fondly Bush Jr i guess.

            So far with our new government we've had focus on anti-vaxxing, fearmongering and scientific disbelief, incredibly questionable and borderline laughable economic reforms, general hypocrisy and mismanagement of the whole refugees situation both by the state and the EU.

            Unfortunately we (and most of Europe) are being swept by a wave of populist parties as of late...

            That being said even if i'm abroad studying, i cannot bring myself to loathe Italy even with the truckload of issues it has. I came back the last 2 times we had to vote and i'll be damned i'll keep doing it.

            Now that i think of it i find it weird is that of all my Italian friends, those that have learned to appreciate the country are mostly those who left and are studying abroad.

            Well, i think we might've gone a bit off topic from the original topic of the post, but i reckon it was a pleasant moment of reflection.

            2 votes
            1. [3]
              cfabbro
              (edited )
              Link Parent
              Ah, that really sucks. If people are fondly looking back on Belusconi then things must be pretty bad there. :/ Not just Europe either, which is rather scary. From Erdogan in Turkey to Bolsonaro in...

              Ah, that really sucks. If people are fondly looking back on Belusconi then things must be pretty bad there. :/

              Unfortunately we (and most of Europe) are being swept by a wave of populist parties as of late...

              Not just Europe either, which is rather scary. From Erdogan in Turkey to Bolsonaro in Brazil to Duterte in the Philippines, right wing populism and demagoguery are on the rise everywhere, it seems. We aren't immune in Canada either. Doug Ford, a Progressive Conservative populist, renowned ignoramus and former coke dealer, who was also brother to Rob Ford the now deceased crack smoking former mayor of Toronto, was recently elected Premier of the Province of Ontario (where I live). :(

              Well, i think we might've gone a bit off topic from the original topic of the post, but i reckon it was a pleasant moment of reflection.

              Indeed... Off-topic but not unwelcome. Thanks for the pleasant talk and good luck to you... and Italy!

              p.s. My family is originally from Udine (you may have noticed the "blacksmith" in my name), and while I haven't yet had the pleasure of visiting Italy, it's definitely high up on my bucket list!

              2 votes
              1. [2]
                TestNamePleaseIgnore
                Link Parent
                Well look at that, Udine is pretty close to where i'm from! Unfortunately i realise i am not allowed to sympathize with you any longer due to a feud between my city and your province contesting...

                Well look at that, Udine is pretty close to where i'm from!

                Unfortunately i realise i am not allowed to sympathize with you any longer due to a feud between my city and your province contesting the invention of Tiramisù.

                Begone you traitorous scumlord with your preposterous claims!

                /s of course

                2 votes
                1. cfabbro
                  Link Parent
                  You can have the Tiramisu, Cannolis are the king of Italian desserts anyways. ;)

                  You can have the Tiramisu, Cannolis are the king of Italian desserts anyways. ;)

                  1 vote