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mahatmakanejeeves

(56,874 posts)
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 05:40 PM Jan 2019

Already reeling from tariff war, some farmers aren't receiving government support checks amid shutdo

Source: Washington Post

National
Already reeling from tariff war, some farmers aren’t receiving government support checks amid shutdown

By Annie Gowen, Jeff Stein and Sean Sullivan
January 9 at 9:00 AM

BASKERVILLE, Va. — The government check hadn’t arrived, and John Boyd was out of seeds. ... So he left his family farm here in southern Virginia on Tuesday and went to the local Farm Service Agency office, a last-ditch attempt to see if any essential personnel with the U.S. Department of Agriculture were still working. He was hoping they could help, even with the partial federal government shutdown stretching to its 19th day.

The Trump administration had promised to help farmers like Boyd, those who suffered as a result of the international trade war after Chinese purchases of soybeans — once 60 percent of the market — plummeted to next to nothing. With farmers on the edge of ruin, the U.S. government offered $12 billion in support since September, checks that had become a lifeline.

But with the government shutdown moving into its third week, Boyd was left waiting for his support check to arrive. Other farmers who still must have their crop totals approved by the government to receive aid were left with no way to apply for it.

The delay has been the latest blow to a soybean farming community of more than 300,000 that has suffered steep price declines and bad weather, leaving some to contemplate switching crops for the coming year — or getting out of farming altogether.
....

Stein and Sullivan reported from Washington. Juliet Eilperin in Washington contributed to this report.

Annie Gowen is a correspondent for The Washington Post's National desk. She was previously The Post’s India bureau chief and has reported for The Post throughout South Asia and the Middle East since 2013. Before going to India, she was a member of The Post's social issues team covering wealth and inequality. Follow https://twitter.com/anniegowen

Jeff Stein is a policy reporter for The Washington Post. Before joining The Post, Stein was a congressional reporter for Vox, where he wrote primarily about the Democratic Party and the left. In 2014, he founded the local news nonprofit the Ithaca Voice in Upstate New York. Follow https://twitter.com/jstein_wapo

Sean Sullivan has covered national politics for The Washington Post since 2012. He previously was the editor of Hotline On Call, National Journal Hotline’s politics blog, and has also worked for NHK Japan Public Broadcasting and ABC News. Follow https://twitter.com/WaPoSean

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/already-reeling-from-tariff-war-farmers-arent-receiving-government-support-checks-amid-shutdown/2019/01/09/2403fca2-40a0-4cc2-8d9c-d4787edde1b4_story.html



David Fahrenthold Retweeted

https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

Because of the trade war, the administration offered soybean farmers $12 billion. Now, thanks to the shutdown, many of them aren't getting their checks.


16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Already reeling from tariff war, some farmers aren't receiving government support checks amid shutdo (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2019 OP
It's not a government support check. It's a welfare check to his base he fucked. Autumn Jan 2019 #1
They deserve just what they are getting a good old screwing. olegramps Jan 2019 #4
Are you sure? Virginia went for HRC. mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2019 #5
Southern Virginia went for Stipid45 ... aggiesal Jan 2019 #12
Maybe you can build a wall with all those soybeans n/t durablend Jan 2019 #2
JUst as they are finishing up their year end business reports,...... ProudMNDemocrat Jan 2019 #3
As someone who has Wellstone ruled Jan 2019 #6
They will blame Democrats hibbing Jan 2019 #7
why does donnie hate farmers? unblock Jan 2019 #8
This message was self-deleted by its author geralmar Jan 2019 #9
The G.O.P. is losing, erlewyne Jan 2019 #10
Second longest shutdown, 3 days away from being the first progree Jan 2019 #11
Thoughts and Prayers. GulfCoast66 Jan 2019 #13
We all want what is right BUT bluestarone Jan 2019 #14
Why don't the fiercely independent conservative farmers just work harder Yeehah Jan 2019 #15
Better reach a little further for those bootstraps; boys... EarthFirst Jan 2019 #16

olegramps

(8,200 posts)
4. They deserve just what they are getting a good old screwing.
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 05:57 PM
Jan 2019

I don't have one ounce of sympathy for them. They overwhelming voted for this mad man.

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,874 posts)
5. Are you sure? Virginia went for HRC.
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 05:58 PM
Jan 2019

If you don't know these farmers personally, you might be making unwarranted assumptions about them.

ProudMNDemocrat

(16,468 posts)
3. JUst as they are finishing up their year end business reports,......
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 05:46 PM
Jan 2019

Getting monies set aside for Equipment repairs, planning where to plant for the next crop, energy costs, etc.

Farmers in Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, and all the other Farm states that went for Trump in 2016 should be rethinking about 2020.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
6. As someone who has
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 05:59 PM
Jan 2019

done service sales at several FSA offices in Southern Minnesota,pretty much have seen what the January thru March time frame looks like in these Offices. These are the months for Forward financing of every aspect of farming operations. Generally speaking,Seed and Fertilizer is booked in December for late March or early April delivery. Land rent has to be paid usually by the end of December and Contracts for next years Rent have to be signed and approved by the FSA office in order to be rolled into any forward financing.

And as one FSA Manager said,it is a bitch to live from one brown envelope to the next,and these folks truly believe in what they are doing.

BTW,Brown envelope is monthly Crop subsidy payment or the next installment of their loan.


hibbing

(10,076 posts)
7. They will blame Democrats
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 06:00 PM
Jan 2019

While my idiot inherited gazillionaire governor praises tiny hands. The disconnect is quite stunning.


Peace

Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

erlewyne

(1,115 posts)
10. The G.O.P. is losing,
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 06:34 PM
Jan 2019

Can we imagine, Putin selling beans to China?

I always invite harassment when drinking with the farmers.
I say, how the hell can you afford equipment that costs more than
my house?

They always reply, "Easy, you paid for it!"

So I have to vote for Hillary and they vote for Putin.

progree

(10,864 posts)
11. Second longest shutdown, 3 days away from being the first
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 07:10 PM
Jan 2019


'Everybody is impacted': The shutdown is ruining Trump's big farmer bailout, Yahoo Finance, January 9, 2019
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/everybody-impacted-shutdown-ruining-trumps-big-farmer-bailout-222417790.html

... the government shutdown means these farmers are not receiving their payments. On top of that, farmers can’t even apply for loans for next season.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s farmer bailout program involved two installments. The first round of payments, approximately $4.7 billion, were distributed in September 2018; the second round of $9.57 billion began in December.

The deadline to apply for this aid was initially Jan. 15, 2019, though this was extended due to the government shutdown. (The program is based on the impact to an agricultural industry’s export sales.) But applications can’t be received if the USDA is closed.

... Farmers also can’t receive their Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans, which are approved based on crop production and not historical data. With government offices closed, no one can certify production.

Additionally, as a result of the shutdown, no USDA economic data is coming out, which is usually “a market driver” and used to project market trends.

“It’s in some ways even larger than market prices,” Novakovic said. Because of this market uncertainty, farmers can’t yet start financing for their 2019 crops.

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
13. Thoughts and Prayers.
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 08:46 PM
Jan 2019

I know some did not support trump and feel bad for them. Actually, being a liberal I feel bad for all of them. But elections matter.

bluestarone

(16,720 posts)
14. We all want what is right BUT
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 09:06 PM
Jan 2019

Why should Farmers be treated different? I'm against special deals cut for anybody. Can the new house stop future payments? Just asking.

Yeehah

(4,520 posts)
15. Why don't the fiercely independent conservative farmers just work harder
Wed Jan 9, 2019, 10:02 PM
Jan 2019

and stop begging for government handouts?

EarthFirst

(2,877 posts)
16. Better reach a little further for those bootstraps; boys...
Thu Jan 10, 2019, 02:05 AM
Jan 2019

“Maybe go get a second, (third?) job and quit being such a burden on society and the taxpayer...”

“Pay your fu*king bills!”

“My daddy never took no dime he didn’t work for...”

Etc. Etc. Etc.

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