The $12-Billion aid package for American farmers is getting a “Yes, but No” from the President of the North Dakota Farmers Union… Reporter Todd McDonald has details…
“I mean, we definitely need it, there's just a lot of issues facing farmers as they wrap this year up and go into next year looking for operating money.”
Mark Watne says yes, the bridge funding is needed, and will be put to good use. But he has concerns because the funding doesn't address the real issue.
“Our preference would be is we don't have trade wars and we find solutions and again try to get the market to respond. But when we have to go through this type of an issue, sometimes the farmers need help and this is a good start. But I'm worried it's not enough and we might be back next fall again if these things break on and we don't seem to get our markets back where they should be.”
Watne says one problem is that we didn't learn lessons from the go to loan trade war launched during the first Trump administration.
Every time the outcome tends to be very similar. So it's not like we don't have the experiences. And then on top, you know, we keep threatening our really good trade partners. I mean, we're messing with Canada, we're messing with Mexico. Boy, you start doing that on top of this and the farmers are going to have a situation that's out of their control.”
Watne says some look at the funding as a corporate welfare handout. But he says when you consider the affordable food supply Americans have available, sometimes the assistance is needed.
“But really, this is a societal subsidy to maintain an adequate food system that has been functioning very well for a long, long time. And I don't believe the consumer would appreciate if we went to a true market just in trying delivery system of food, because then we would be seeing food inflation constantly.”
Watne says the current political climate is one of protectionism and it's going to have ramifications. He says until that gets played out, farmers are going to need help if they're going to get into the fields next spring.
For Prairie Public, I'm Todd McDonald.
