President Trump holds a roundtable discussion with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and various farm state senators as he outlines $12 billion in support and subsidy for American farmers.
With energy prices lowered, the costs for natural gas, fertilizer, diesel and gasoline prices have fallen; however, food costs have remained high. President Trump announced with Brooke Rollins an initiative to help support American farmers with the intended objective to lower production costs from the field that will hopefully transfer to the fork.
Secretary Rollins and President Trump announce a $12 billion bridge subsidy to assist farmers with proactive planning for the 2026 planting season. The money is coming from revenue generated by tariffs, and row crop farming will be the first subsidies delivered. WATCH (media questions begin at 31:40):
.
Speaking of tariffs, did the SC hand down their ruling on that yet?
No
Roberts is likely fine-tuning the decision so that the decision decides not much but all the can to be kicked further down the road. I often wonder what the court would be like if Thomas has been elevated to Chief Justice.
Welp, its probably needed by farmers of which I am one on a very micro scale but…….our gov’t should not be in the business of picking winners and losers to support. Personal responsibility to thrive or not in a free society is what we should always aim at.
Freedom means both, free to succeed or free to fail. End subsidies they prop up ignorance like wind and solar farms and Big Ag.
So true, but I would rather see the money support domestic AG producers than little things like 400 billion to Ukraine.
If Ag were a free market, then I’d agree. But it isn’t. So, I hold my nose at the process.
Stop throwing money down the farm rat-hole.
Farmers are one of the biggest leeches on the federal teat.
No farmer or rancher is going to lower prices.
If there has to be subsidies then the money should come with the massive strings attached.
I saw a report on the news this morning, a black farmer said that wasn’t enough money. They want mo, mo, mo!
Was that farmer John Boyd?
There are questions about John Boyd.
What did the other two black farmers say?
Farmers are price takers, not price setters.
Eliminate the ethanol requirement that is a subsidy for corn farming.
Do you want mtbe ( pollutant )
or ethanol
as a fuel additive ( oxygenate)?
https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/live-wire/2017/09/26/live-wire-why-are-we-still-using-ethanol-except-to-boost-farmers-corn-profits/18730291007/
Ethanol increases the demand for corn, which helps the corn price to offset the cost of production.
There’s a case to be made that fuel injected engines with computer controlled emissions tech don’t strictly need the ethanol as an oxygenate for gasoline.
No more ethanol!
I remember during the campaign, PDJT gave a big load of $$ to farmers in Iowa. Vote buying at its best, done by both parties.
In the 70’s Farmers would get payed to let land not
be farmed, ( Called laid-aside-land) Farmers would rotate what land they laid aside for a season. Biblically They suppose to lay land aside every 7 years.
The Immigrants from Arabic countries, not sure where! All I know they wore turbans.
They would buy land, plant new almond tree ‘s. let’s say they planted trees on a 640 acre section, Then plant cotton between the tree rows, for about 6-8 years The government helped them buying land buy trees and pay their watering . all the time they called the tree rows laid aside land, Because they wasn’t growing cotton there they got paid for that 320 acres. Wasn’t legal . The government would subsidize it. They transformed and planted thousands of acres west of Bakersfield ca. doing that.
That just what i saw, I am sure it went on in other places too!
I don’t know anything about your comment’s history. But, the Sikhs having been living in various places in California farming areas for quite a long time. … The Sikhs wearing their turbans are an important part of >India’s military, even today. … Many Sikhs still wear turbans in California, but they are >not Moslems. … The Sikhs have their own religion. [Sikhs are NOT from Arabic countries.] &The Sikhs have a ‘different’ shape to the turbans they wear. [I’ve never heard of many Arabic Farmers in California; it’s possible, though.]
………. +It’s possible to see Sikhs & Hindu Indians battle Moslems in the old Gunga Din movie (1939). … [As a note: The Alabama Hills of Southern California served as the Pakistan location for the film.]
************************
Punjabi Sikh Community (Site as my source for this quote)
“Coming from India, the Punjabi Sikh community found their new home in California. Between 1899-1914, approximately 6,800 Indians from the Punjab province came to America, and just as in India, many grew up to be farmers. A majority of those who came to California worked in agricultural fields. To them, California was reminiscent of Punjab; they grew the same crops as they had in India such as cotton, almond, rice, etc. Although they found agricultural labor and farming reminiscent of Punjab, their transition to California was not easy.”
********************************************
Please do NOT interpret my comment as a defense of Islam. … The Christians and most other non-Islamists have been battling with adherents of Islam since the days of Mohammed.
I never said or thought Moslems. not my intended, maybe i shouldn’t said arabic, beings I was just a kid not knowing much, just what I saw and heard was going on..
the point was the land being laid-aside for government paid money for not farming!
Richard Huddleston, my (GGHD) misunderstanding. … But mentioning agriculture gives an opportunity to cite TheConservativeTreehouse about food production and other farm products. (or almost everything we buy)
The agriculture (food supply) for the United States have increasingly become controlled by Multi-National Corporations. … The farmers are only a part of our ‘food suppliers’ in the process of growing, processing and distributing food to Americans. TheConservativeTreehouse has a number of excellent articles about the Multi National Corporations and the foreign countries financing the Corporations, that ‘control’ our food supply.
I’ll place part of one article here to give an idea of the situation. {Just paying money to farmers is not an adequate solution of ‘food prices’ in the United States.
************************************************
TheConservativeTreehouse:
“The process of charging the U.S. consumer more for a product, that under normal national market conditions would cost less, is a process called exfiltration of wealth. This is the basic premise, the cornerstone, behind the catch-phrase ‘globalism’.
It is never discussed.
To control the market price some contracted product may even be secured and shipped with the intent to allow it to sit idle (or rot). It’s all about controlling the price and maximizing the profit equation. To gain the same $1 profit a widget multinational might have to sell 20 widgets in El-Salvador (.25¢ each), or two widgets in the U.S. ($2.50/each).
Think of the process like the historic reference of OPEC (Oil Producing Economic Countries). Only in the modern era massive corporations are playing the role of OPEC and it’s not oil being controlled, thanks to the WTO it’s almost >everything.
Again, this is highlighted in the example of taxpayers subsidizing the food sector (EBT, SNAP etc.), the corporations can charge U.S. consumers more. Ex. more beef is exported, red meat prices remain high at the grocery store, but subsidized U.S. consumers can better afford the high prices.
Of course, if you are not receiving food payment assistance (middle-class) you can’t eat the steaks because you can’t afford them. (Not accidentally, it’s the same scheme in the ObamaCare healthcare system)
Agriculturally, multinational corporate Monsanto says: ‘all your harvests are belong to us‘. Contract with us, or you lose because we can control the market price of your end product. Downside is that once you sign that contract, you agree to terms that are entirely created by the financial interests of the larger corporation; not your farm.
The multinational agriculture lobby is massive. We willingly feed the world as part of the system; but you as a grocery customer pay more per unit at the grocery store because domestic supply no longer determines domestic price.
Within the agriculture community the (feed-the-world) production export factor also drives the need for labor. Labor is a cost. The multinational corps have a vested interest in low labor costs. Ergo, open border policies. (ie. willingly purchased republicans not supporting border wall etc.).
This corrupt economic manipulation/exploitation applies over multiple sectors, and even in the sub-sector of an industry like steel. China/India purchases the raw material, coking coal, then sells the finished good (rolled steel) back to the global market at a discount. Or it could be rubber, or concrete, or plastic, or frozen chicken parts etc.
The ‘America First’ Trump-Trade Doctrine upset the entire construct of this multinational export/control dynamic. Team Trump focused exclusively on bilateral trade deals, with specific trade agreements targeted toward individual nations (not national corporations).
‘America-First’ is also specific policy at a granular product level looking out for the national interests of the United States, U.S. workers, U.S. companies and U.S. consumers.
Under President Trump’s Trade positions, balanced and fair trade with strong regulatory control over national assets, exfiltration of U.S. national wealth is essentially stopped.
This puts many current multinational corporations, globalists who previously took a stake-hold in the U.S. economy with intention to export the wealth, in a position of holding contracted interest of an asset they can no longer exploit.
Perhaps now we understand better how massive multi-billion multinational corporations, and the political institutions they pay for, were/are aligned against President Trump; and they will never relent in their need to see the risk he/we represents destroyed.
I will never relent in my support for anyone who fights this enemy.
I will align with and encourage anyone who joins this fight.
If you are looking for criticism against the only person I have ever witnessed who actually fought our correct enemy, look elsewhere.
I am thankful for President Trump.
CTH will never stop the fight….”
(People Awakening to The Multinational Corporate Influence Over U.S. Politics – This is What the Professional UniParty, Including Republicans, Have Intentionally Kept Hidden From The American VoterApril 3, 2021<– | Sundance )
So the US government has been getting scroooooed over for many years!
And spend spend spend away!!!!
Farmers need parts and operational equipment – and people to run the equipment –
across thousands of square miles – to help feed people, every year.
Yes, that takes effort, saving and spending.
The wise farmer generally figures there may be 1 in 5 or 6 years that there is a profit. And the wise one knows that 1 good year ( weather, prices, costs,, land related ) needs to be stretched out over the other 4 to 5 lean years.
In general, the less wise farmer overspends after the 1 good year – and begins looking for other employment soon afterwards.
Farmers, in general do not want over regulations nor handouts from the government. They cherish God, country, family, community resources ( mail delivery, utilities, stores ) and independence.
The equipment manufacturers and bread / cereal makers etc. and people in other businesses, need devoted farmers and their production of natural food sources to survive year to year.
The over regulations bran done years were costly and were lean years for farmers. Many are finding ways to survive…
Reluctantly, the bridge funds could help pay some prior or future fertilizer, herbicide, equipment repair, energy and land bills.
All of which trickles into helping ‘we the people ‘ to survive…
The reduction of over regulations also helps.
Imho
Love thy neighbors
Imho
IMHO maybe farmers should farm to feed the country they live in, not China.
As a small farmer in my second career, I’d argue that relief should come not to row crop farmers of, say for example, 1000 acres or more, but to the smaller farmer. In my case, the regulations regarding the processing of beef I might produce are excessive. To sell individual cuts, the butcher must have a full time USDA inspector on site. There are very few available to a small producer, and those that are frankly don’t always do as well of a job as the small custom processors. To use one of those I have to sell the animal first on the hoof, then deliver it to the processor who cuts it according to the customer’s desires. This can be burdensome and inefficient to both producer and processor. These custom processors are still periodically inspected, so it’s not as though they are unregulated.
FRUIT TREES, Vegetable Produce
OR
LESS THAN 200 Head of Cattle or Livestock
i Grew Up on a ” Truck Farm ”
HAY
FRUIT / Grapes and Apples, Blue Berries
and
Vegetable Gardens
SOLD Produce
to The Factory Workers where My DAD Worked
Mom and GrandMa CANNED The Left Overs
MAKE LOCAL PRODUCTION – GREAT AGAIN !
( by INCENTIVES to the YOUNGER FOLKS on GOING BACK to The FARMS and LIVING THERE ! )
Regulations/supply/demand will FIX this problem.
China can buy Brazil soybeans cheaper b/c yesterday Brazil lowered their prices as a result of this action.
Brazil has NO regulations like USA does. Thanks politicians. Name ONE thing politicians DON’T destroy.
The same mechanical equip used in the USA will cost almost $1M (DUE TO REGULATIONS) versus $350k in Brazil.
Amn farmers CAN’T compete on the global mkt.
USA LOST the entire global market and exports DURING???? COVID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have we EVER held any country or ANYONE accountable for COVID???????????
We are NOT fixing the USA problem. Never will cause capitol hill and politicians WON’T allow it to be fixed.
How about looking at the middlemen who take the farm produce and turn it into the food sold in stores.
How much markup takes place in each step, and how much are they making in comparison to the farmers and ranchers.
Any oligarchs in the mix that don’t want anyone rocking the boat?
Where I live, in Ohio, the farmers are basically the only wealthy people in the area. And I don’t mind wealthy at all. But subsidizing wealth is one of the biggest problems of our government. It reeks of corruption.
Grew up on a farm, and got to see lots of farmers barely making it. When gasohol came out a lot of farmers started earning a lot of money because they could sell corn to the ethanol plants for a lot more than the grain elevator companies were offering. I can remember watching prices skyrocket during the spring, when farmers were buying seed, and then see the prices drop way down just before harvest season started. It looked a lot like some big companies were making bank, while farmers weren’t.
Also interesting, commercial farms really started buying up land and then, for some odd reason, the gasohol thing got going. The family farms that had hung in there benefitted from the increase in prices, but I somehow suspect that the large commercial farm companies were the intended recipients of all the government largesse.
After the 70’s (carter years, high interest and inflation rates, more regulations), a lot of farmers went bankrupt in the early 80’s (Reagon) as Reagon worked to make corrections. He did…
The current Trump admin knows about that condition,
and is facing similar challenges due to the bran done years (higher interest and inflation rates and excessive regulations on equipment, water, fertilizing etc.),
and is looking to the bridge funds ( $ 11 billion ) as
regulations get reduced and inflation and interest rates get reduced.
It is interesting that the earlier ‘tariffs’ being implemented this year upon our prior un fair trading partners,
is finding its way to the bread basket of the USA…
Its like someone is thinking ahead and helping to make America First…which helps the whole USA…
Love thy neighbors
I don’t know enough about large scale agriculture, but I do know my local ranchers and farmers. For the first time in 20 YEARS, one local rancher made a profit on his cow/calf operation this year, as opposed to break even. As a very small farmer, I know that I lose money every year. Every time you turn around it’s $200 for this, $500 for that, thousands for maintenance and upkeep, etc. So, why do I do it? For the self-sufficiency and independence to grow food for my family that is not beholden to government, big ag, big food, big pharma. I realize that doesn’t apply to the bigger conversation. But, I do think we need to get back to an agrarian lifestyle as much as possible. If nothing else, for the food security of our families.
The American rancher/farmer conversation is really huge and goes way back. I don’t know how we right things, but negotiating trade deals and tariffs is what is going to save the big ranches and farms, and that is what Trump is doing. I definitely support the subsidies. If we stop funding everyone else in the world, we can easily help Americans. My two and a half cents.
WELL STATED
The Young Man that has the Contract on the Hayfield is Working Midnight to 0800 and then Farming His 100 Head of Cattle and the Row Crops –
He Buys USED EQUIPMENT and on Occasion a NOS Baler ( WHICH He HAS Problems with )
a GOOD YOUNG MAN, LAID BACK DUTCH HERITAGE… DUTIFULLY WALKING Thru HIS CHORES
WITH Co-ops CONSOLIDATING and
the DECREASE in RESOURCES for Fertilizer Pricing / Ammonia / Crop Sprays PRICING –
i SEE THIS as the VECTOR to CONTROL !
Subsidizing farmers today to lower food prices won’t work right away. They can’t just create crops/animals by throwing money at the problem, it takes time to grow plants/raise animals.
My problem with subsidizing farmers is that “family farm” isn’t Little House on the Prairie, it is big agricultural operations run as a family business. I’m sure there are many families on many small farms that would benefit from a cash infusion, but the bulk of the money always ends up in the pockets of the wealthy farmers who can afford lobbyists and attorneys to ensure their place at the trough.
And let’s not forget the “family farmers” in Congress like Massie, who owns a beef operation in Kentucky and will likely benefit greatly from subsidies that he will no doubt vote for despite his alleged libertarian sentiments.
Comment from above: “but the bulk of the money always ends up in the pockets of the wealthy farmers who can afford lobbyists and attorneys to ensure their place at the trough.” I don’t remember the website, but it is of farmers who get USDA subsidies. One name you will find on the list is Anheuser Busch farms. My DH’s uncle had a small farm complete with huge Japanese made pieces of equipment. He was on that list also.
Actually, what Massie has been trying to get through the House is the PRIME Act. This would allow for the proliferation of state-inspected custom meat processors to compete with the four big USDA inspected processors. The cuts of meat could be sold within the states, but not to retailers across state lines.
Mike Johnson steadfastly chooses not to bring up the bill for a floor debate and vote.
You can sell or ruin all your corn in one day, but it takes a year to begin to refill.
Fertilizer prices went through the roof when the war on Russia was initiated.
Yes, about those food prices Mr. President . . .
Although Brooke Rollins has spent a large part of her career working in policy positions, that is not the entire story.
She is an attorney who has worked in antitrust. She seems to understand the perils of the concentration of power in Big Ag.
She appeared on the Lonesome Lands podcast a couple of weeks ago.
I enjoyed President Trump’s handling of the MSM in this video. Long overdue. I also sensed that this president has some understanding about how the markets work. He also sees how the markets are not operating in the manner in which they should operate. He is the only president that has indicated to me that he does understand.
It is apparent that the commenter GGHD understands a great deal more than most any other commenter here. His quoting sundance also demonstrates this. For a non market student, those concepts tend to be difficult. The farmer today needs to operate in this complex, sometimes non-intuitive world. What is the best way to ensure consistently low prices for the consumer? (Think about this – is there anything more important to a politician than this?). How do you, as a politician, keep prices as low as possible? You put a price FLOOR under the commodity. You do not limit profits with a price cap, you limit the losses with a price floor. A price cap discourages production – a price floor guarantees full production. Guaranteeing no or limited losses and you severely limit the roller coaster of the commodity markets. Who really benefits? The consumer – and – of course, the politician. Take away the normal cycle lows – and you essentially put a damper on most highs. Most farmers do not even realize this.
That twelve billion or so is money well spent, from the consumers’ point of view. Farmers WANT TO PRODUCE. It’s in their DNA, I think. I still go back in the fall harvest and run the combine – and I’m 80. When I’m out there in the dark, and when I get to a high spot in the field, I marvel at how well this system works. I look around and everywhere I see lights crawling around back and forth in the fields. There is nothing that drives production and hard work like incentive.
I think Donald Trump understands that. It’s good to finally – finally – have a real manager in charge of this country.