U.S. corn farmers sound alarm: Most catastrophic problem ever faced headed for crop
By Peter Partoll, The Western JournalPublished January 31, 2023 at 8:35pm
Farmers across the country are sounding the alarm on a new law that could spell catastrophe for their businesses, as well as the American economy.
According to Fox Business, Mexico is set to enact a new law that would ban U.S. imports of genetically modified corn, and many are worried that this could be "the most catastrophic thing to happen to corn farmers."
Mexico is the largest buyer of American corn, purchasing more than $10 billion worth of corn from the United States, and most American farmers are not set up to grow non-GMO corn.
Elizabeth Hinkel of Hinkel Farms told Fox Business that it would take a massive effort for the farms to switch to conventional corn, saying "it would be a huge investment if we had to go back to growing conventional. And on top of that, our yields would be decreased."
Hinkel also said that regardless of where farmers sell their corn, the price of corn in one area is dependent on the whole country, so this means that prices across the country will plummet, and farmers will have massive losses.
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Meanwhile, the USDA decried Mexico's decision, saying that it "is not grounded in science" and that it threatens to harm trade relations between the two nations as well as the productivity of both American and Mexican farms.
Now we all know that GMO food is a controversial issue, and there are many who would prefer to not eat GMO food. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the fact of the matter is that most American farms are not set up to grow non-GMO crops, and there is very little chance that they will change that to please the Mexican government.
This means that we are now unable to sell most of our corn supply to our largest buyer, and this could send not only farmers but the American economy, into freefall.
Now, farmers are headed to Capitol Hill to demand that lawmakers take action and protect their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, this once again illustrates a core difference between the administration of Joe Biden and that of his predecessor Donald Trump.
Trump was well-known for his tough and often abrasive style when dealing with foreign nations. He famously stood up to China regarding trade with the United States.
Trump also famously stood up to Mexico regarding not only trade policy but immigration as well, claiming that he was going to make Mexico pay for his border wall.
Thus, the southern border was secured, and trade relations between the two nations thrived.
Biden, on the other hand, has repeatedly let other nations take advantage of the United States for their own advantage. His immigration policy has seen swarms of illegal immigrants pass over the southern border, and has sent billions of dollars to aid other nations at the expense of Americans.
No wonder Mexico is not hesitating to enact this law, they know that there will be no repercussions from the Biden administration.
Mexico, meanwhile, is enacting a rather Trumpian trade policy by implementing a 50 percent tariff on corn leaving the country.
It seems that Mexico understands what it needs to do in order to make sure its economy thrives. The Biden administration does not, and thus our economy is in free fall.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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