Harvesting in a trade war - U.S. crops rot as storage costs soar

[dbackjon]

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-t ... KKCN1NQ0GR

U.S. farmers finishing their harvests are facing a big problem - where to put the mountain of grain they cannot sell to Chinese buyers.For Louisiana farmer Richard Fontenot and his neighbours, the solution was a costly one: Let the crops rot.

Fontenot plowed under 1,000 of his 1,700 soybean acres this fall, chopping plants into the dirt instead of harvesting more than $300,000 worth of beans.

His beans were damaged by bad weather, made worse by a wet harvest. Normally, he could sell them anyway to a local elevator - giant silos usually run by international grains merchants that store grain.

But this year they aren’t buying as much damaged grain. The elevators are already chock full.

[HI54UNI]

Click bait type article -

$300,000/$8.80 (current soybean price) is about 34,000 bushels. On 1,000 acres that's only 34 bushels per acre. Either the land is really shitty and shouldn't be used for soybeans or the damage was so bad his taxpayer subsidized crop insurance paid him off. My guess would be the latter because there is no way a farmer would plow under $300,000 even if he had to pay storage, damage, etc. Better to have something rather than nothing. Also I have little sympathy for a farmer that farms 1,700 acres of soybeans. Odds are he's farming double that acreage with other crops.

The glut in grain stocks has been building for years now because of too much over production, some of which is encouraged by subsidized crop insurance. Farmers around here have plowed up pastures, waterways, etc. because as long as they get a crop planted they are guaranteed to get paid even if it floods out every year. There are grain piles around because yields were good and there isn't enough storage. The China tariffs are making the problem worse but are just a convenient boogeyman.

Interesting that the article talks about privately owned grain elevators. Most around here are cooperatives. Are the coops screwing their farmer owners too? Maybe the farmers need to start cooperatives instead of relying on private entities if they feel they are getting screwed. And fees for damaged crops are nothing new. Happens all the time.

Why didn't these farmers save their money 5-7 years ago when the markets went crazy and corn was $7 per bushel?

[dbackjon]

From what I can gather, these are private elevators.

Our farm uses a co-op elevator.

And you are right about the plowing of marginal land. We contract out the farming, and they plowed most of what used to be pasture by the creek - my Dad (when he was alive) insisted on leaving a decent strip along our side of the creek, which is still left unplowed, the other side is plowed to within two feet of the creek. I have seen the entire area that was pasture flood before. Many fence rows that used to have trees are gone pretty much everywhere in Illinois - plowed under.

[Ivytalk]

Those tariffs are biting us in the ass. Look at the stock market lately. It was just a matter of time. And the trade war is set to escalate further on January 1.

[dbackjon]

Those tariffs are biting us in the ass. Look at the stock market lately. It was just a matter of time. And the trade war is set to escalate further on January 1.

This is what you voted for, right?

[Chizzang]

Those tariffs are biting us in the ass. Look at the stock market lately. It was just a matter of time. And the trade war is set to escalate further on January 1.

This is what you voted for, right?

Don't complain too loudly Jon
If Trump crashes the economy it'll be a cake walk for Octavia Johnson Jingleheimer Schmidt

[Ivytalk]

Those tariffs are biting us in the ass. Look at the stock market lately. It was just a matter of time. And the trade war is set to escalate further on January 1.

This is what you voted for, right?

I voted for the anti-tariff candidate, Gary Johnson.

What you talkin’ about, Willis?

[AZGrizFan]

This is what you voted for, right?

I voted for the anti-tariff candidate, Gary Johnson.

What you talkin’ about, Willis?

Same here.

[dbackjon]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

[Ivytalk]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

Out of Midol again?

[Chizzang]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

Out of Midol again?

Hey there mister - weren't you recently lecturing me on my crappy attitude..?

[Ivytalk]

Out of Midol again?

Hey there mister - weren't you recently lecturing me on my crappy attitude..?

Yes. It takes a whiny bitch to call out another whiny bitch.

Happy Thanksgiving, Chizz.

[Chizzang]

Hey there mister - weren't you recently lecturing me on my crappy attitude..?

Yes. It takes a whiny bitch to call out another whiny bitch.

Happy Thanksgiving, Chizz.

Hugs - Right back at you Ivy..
Me and the little lady are in Palm Springs right now working on our tans

[Ivytalk]

Yes. It takes a whiny bitch to call out another whiny bitch.

Happy Thanksgiving, Chizz.

Hugs - Right back at you Ivy..
Me and the little lady are in Palm Springs right now working on our tans

I expect you to post an appropriate selfie at some point. I hope the prevailing winds are carrying the smoke away.

[Chizzang]

Hugs - Right back at you Ivy..
Me and the little lady are in Palm Springs right now working on our tans

I expect you to post an appropriate selfie at some point. I hope the prevailing winds are carrying the smoke away.

Here's my latest "Meet your new contractor" photo

[AZGrizFan]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

Yeah, that’s it.

[UNI88]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

No I voted for Johnson and I live in gerrymandered Illinois so all my statewide votes are irrelevant and general assembly votes just rubber stamp Madigan who makes Trump look virtuous.

[kalm]

From what I can gather, these are private elevators.

Our farm uses a co-op elevator.

And you are right about the plowing of marginal land. We contract out the farming, and they plowed most of what used to be pasture by the creek - my Dad (when he was alive) insisted on leaving a decent strip along our side of the creek, which is still left unplowed, the other side is plowed to within two feet of the creek. I have seen the entire area that was pasture flood before. Many fence rows that used to have trees are gone pretty much everywhere in Illinois - plowed under.

Good on your dad. Preserving riparian habitat is good for fish, birds, amphibians...all the critters.

[JoltinJoe]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

You know who voted for Trump?

The leadership of the Democratic Party who determined it was "Hillary's turn" and contorted the process to deliver her the party nomination. They nominated a candidate so bad she lost to Trump.

[kalm]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

You know who voted for Trump?

The leadership of the Democratic Party who determined it was "Hillary's turn" and contorted the process to deliver her the party nomination. They nominated a candidate so bad she lost to Trump.

There's a degree of truth to this.

[SeattleGriz]

I voted for the anti-tariff candidate, Gary Johnson.

What you talkin’ about, Willis?

Same here.

Same here.

[SeattleGriz]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

You know who voted for Trump?

The leadership of the Democratic Party who determined it was "Hillary's turn" and contorted the process to deliver her the party nomination. They nominated a candidate so bad she lost to Trump.

So in essence, it was you Jon, who elected Trump. You can thank yourself.

[Ivytalk]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

You know who voted for Trump?

The leadership of the Democratic Party who determined it was "Hillary's turn" and contorted the process to deliver her the party nomination. They nominated a candidate so bad she lost to Trump.

Kneecapped by this powerful post, dbackjon was last seen on his way to Mexico to aid the caravans.

[kalm]

Click bait type article -

$300,000/$8.80 (current soybean price) is about 34,000 bushels. On 1,000 acres that's only 34 bushels per acre. Either the land is really shitty and shouldn't be used for soybeans or the damage was so bad his taxpayer subsidized crop insurance paid him off. My guess would be the latter because there is no way a farmer would plow under $300,000 even if he had to pay storage, damage, etc. Better to have something rather than nothing. Also I have little sympathy for a farmer that farms 1,700 acres of soybeans. Odds are he's farming double that acreage with other crops.

The glut in grain stocks has been building for years now because of too much over production, some of which is encouraged by subsidized crop insurance. Farmers around here have plowed up pastures, waterways, etc. because as long as they get a crop planted they are guaranteed to get paid even if it floods out every year. There are grain piles around because yields were good and there isn't enough storage. The China tariffs are making the problem worse but are just a convenient boogeyman.

Interesting that the article talks about privately owned grain elevators. Most around here are cooperatives. Are the coops screwing their farmer owners too? Maybe the farmers need to start cooperatives instead of relying on private entities if they feel they are getting screwed. And fees for damaged crops are nothing new. Happens all the time.

Why didn't these farmers save their money 5-7 years ago when the markets went crazy and corn was $7 per bushel?

Oops...there goes Reuter’s as a source. CID and Gil won’t be happy.

[mainejeff]

So you both voted for Trump, but are too smug to admit it.

Well done!

Of course you also voted for the spineless GOP in the House and Senate who have been nothing but rubber stamps for Trump.

Another Well done!

It's funny how no one voted for Trump.