By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block.
I am so tired of these “peaceful” rallies that end up destroying property, looting, and burning flags and signs. We had a dozen of our large cities face this last summer and fall, but by far the worst is the assault on our own Capitol last week. Both parties need to stand up and say “enough is enough”. This is not the USA that I know. Just blaming President Trump will not solve the problem.
I think President-Elect Biden has a great opportunity to step up and work to bring the country together. Republicans and Democrats should want to put an end to third world riots and destruction. The two parties need to work on a number of issues and find middle ground. Get the vaccines out to stop the Coronavirus. Work on trade war problems – China and the EU.
If climate change is going to be on the agenda, go to work. Farm companies are ready to see what makes sense. We have food shortages for many of our families and it’s projected to get worse. President-Elect Biden is going to be facing a wave of illegal immigrants headed to crash our southern border. They think “open borders” will be the new rule. I don’t think so. Will Biden bring our troops home from the Middle East? I hope so. Biden has a reputation for working across party lines. It won’t be easy. But we have so many serious challenges before us. This is an exceptional opportunity for our President. 2021 could be a great year of recovery from the virus and record economic growth.
Some estimates project farm income to reach a five-year high. Keep in mind however, farm income from the federal government will not be even close to what it was last year. This year we can get the money from the market. Corn last year was $3.30 per bushel. Last week I sold some for $5.00 per bushel. Soybean prices are at $14.00 per bushel and headed higher – unbelievable. Hogs and cattle are not bad. We just don’t want African Swine Fever. Almost all of our crops and live animals are worth a lot more than last year.
Let’s encourage our politicians. With President-Elect Biden’s leadership they should avoid the extreme but march down the middle and get something done. Our President should try to be President for all the people.
John Block served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1981-1985, where he played a key role in the development of the 1985 Farm Bill. John hosts a weekly radio show going back more than 20 years. The commentary and opinions shared are a summary of the discussion from the broadcast and not a reflection of the opinions of the firm at large. For more from John Block Reports from Washington visit www.johnblockreports.com.
