Saturday, January 18, 2020

What US farmers make of Trump's trade deal

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Tri-Fecta farmsImage copyrightHOLLY HONDERICH
President Trump has touted his new US-China trade agreement as a boon for America's farmers, who have suffered under a nearly-two-year tariff standoff with Beijing. But what do they think?
A summary of the new agreement says that Beijing will now "strive" to purchase an additional $5bn (£3.8bn) of US agricultural products over the next two years.
"That will result in greater prosperity for farmers all across the land," Mr Trump said as he signed the agreement.
But farmers in Wisconsin - the swing state proudly billed as America's Dairyland - remain uncertain. And as the president seeks re-election, that could matter.
In 2016, Mr Trump clinched the state by a 0.8% margin, becoming the first Republican to do so since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
In Wisconsin, such a razor's-edge victory is typical.
In three of the five past presidential elections, victory in Wisconsin has been decided by less than one percentage point. In 2000, this margin was made up of 6,000 votes, in 2004 about 13,000.
Farmers make up about 11% of the electorate in Wisconsin, says Charles Franklin, director of the state's leading poll at Marquette Law School.
Media captionThe plight of a dairy farm
"They're a modest bloc," Mr Franklin says. But even a modest bloc "could be responsible for tipping a one-point election".
So how are farmers feeling about the future?
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'It's a slow death'

"Every year you lose a few farms, every year you lose a few farmers who don't want to keep doing this," says Will Hsu, president of Hsu Ginseng, a ginseng farm in central Wisconsin's Marathon County.
Ginseng famers Will and Paul HsuImage copyrightHSU'S GINSENG ENTERPRISES
Image captionWill Hsu's father, Paul, began ginseng farming in Wisconsin in 1974
The region is reliably Republican - Marathon County went for Trump over Clinton by an 18 point margin in 2016 - and is home to more than 95% of the United States' ginseng, almost all of which is shipped to China.
In the 1990s there were 1,000 ginseng farmers in Wisconsin, Mr Hsu says, growing more than 2m lbs of ginseng.
"There are only about 180 farmers left," he says. "It's death by a thousand cuts."
It's hard work. Ginseng takes three to five years to reach maturity and cannot be farmed on the same land twice.
And it's been made harder by the trade war, Mr Hsu says, which has pushed tariffs up from 8% to 38%, a punishing reality for farmers who rely on Chinese consumers for their survival.
Many farmers are bearing costs themselves - lowering prices to offset the added tax.
It's not quite devastation, he says, but the pressure on farmers is building.
"It's a slow death," he says.
Farm in Omro, WisconsinImage copyrightALAMY
Hsu's criticism of the president's trade war has raised eyebrows from some in his community, he says.
"I hear from a lot of farmers who say I'm a little too vocal against Trump's policies, that I should be supportive of him."
But even though Hsu might support Trump ideologically, "there's also the realistic part of me," he says. And "realistically, it's hurting everyone and our pocketbooks."
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'Farmers are always the pawns'

Joel Greeno, 52, grew up on a dairy farm in Monroe County in west Wisconsin. It was "pretty much assumed" he would continue the family tradition, he says.
Wisconsin farmer Joel GreenoImage copyrightJOEL GREENO
Image captionFor Joel Greeno, it was "assumed" that he would follow his family into farming
In 1990, he did, buying a 160 acre dairy farm and 48 cows of his own.
But after twenty years of business, staring down economic ruin, he was forced to sell.
"It was just excruciating," he says.
To Mr Greeno, who now farms vegetables in addition to nightshifts at Wisconsin's Ocean Spray cranberry factory, Mr Trump's trade war has added needless stress to an already fragile industry.
For years, Wisconsin has led the US in farm bankruptcies. In 2019, the state lost one in 10 of its dairy farms, marking the biggest decline on record.
Exports of US dairy products to China declined by over 50% in 2019, and the US Dairy Export Council estimated last year that retaliatory tariffs from China could cost US dairy farmers $12.2bn by 2023 if they remain in place.
Cow at tri-fecta farmImage copyrightHOLLY HONDERICH
"Tariffs only hurt us," he says. "There was no thought process whatsoever."
He continues: "Our labour is stolen, our lives are stolen, our families are broken and it's all because we have politicians who are absolutely clueless to the reality of farming."
"Farmers are always the pawns."
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'Ray of hope'

"We've dealt with declining prices before, but it hasn't lasted this long before," Katy Schultz says as she walks through the barn at Tri-Fecta farms, the 400-cow dairy farm she owns with her two siblings just outside of Fox Lake.
Katy SchultzImage copyrightHOLLY HONDERICH
The US-China trade war added "insult to injury" during a difficult period for farmers, she says. "It was already not great times and not great prices."
"I won't sugar coat that... We struggled. We struggled with everyone."
In the weeks before the agreement was signed, people in her community had been talking about the possibilities of a new deal. For some, Mr Trump's promises gave them a "ray of hope" to hang on through difficult conditions.
Just one door over from 2,000 acres, a neighbour boasts a towering flag pole on the front lawn, adorned with a massive Trump 2020 flag. It's not unexpected in Dodge County - which went for Trump in 2016 by a 30-point margin.
Ms Schultz doesn't say who she voted for, disclosing only that her siblings were "divided" at the ballot box.
"I don't care if they're Democrat or Republican. I just want to know that they're rowing in the same boat that I am," Ms Schultz says. But there are some things the president has done that "you can't really deny", like the record-low unemployment rate.
Trump flagImage copyrightHOLLY HONDERICH
Image captionA Trump flag flies outside the president's rally in Milwaukee
"Is [the deal] the answer to everything? Probably not," she says. But, "I think there's some optimism now."

Nepal avalanche: Four South Korean trekkers among missing


The snow-capped Annapurna mountain in NepalImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionFour South Koreans are among those missing after the avalanche

At least six people have gone missing after an avalanche hit a trekking route on a Himalayan mountain in north-west Nepal, officials say.
The avalanche struck near a base camp in the Annapurna region after heavy snowfall on Friday.
Four South Koreans - all volunteer teachers - and at least two Nepali guides are among those missing.
A number of other trekkers have been rescued from the site of the avalanche.
A rescue operation is under way, but poor weather conditions and plunging temperatures have hampered efforts.
Authorities have deployed four helicopters to assist rescue efforts on Mount Annapurna, one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas.
The avalanche happened at an altitude of 3,230m (10,600ft) about 150km (93 miles) north-west of Nepali capital Kathmandu, officials say.

A trekker walks to the Annapurna base camp with Mount Machapuchare in the backgroundImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionThe avalanche happened near a base camp in Nepal's Annapurna region

The missing trekkers, two women in their 30s and 50s and two men in their 50s, are teachers who were staying in Nepal for volunteer work, South Korea's foreign ministry told Yonhap News Agency.
The ministry said five other South Korean members of their group were safe and taking shelter in a lodge. Some reports suggested a third guide was unaccounted for.
Sandesh Pandey of Jangbogo Tour Nepal, which helped organise the trek, said the four missing people were part of an 11-member team from South Korea.
"They were descending yesterday after heavy snowfall stopped them from going higher. The remaining five from the team are moving down safely. The other two did not go up in the trek," Mr Pandey said.
South Korea's government has dispatched an emergency team to assist rescue efforts and help those affected.
Hundreds of foreign climbers head every year for the Himalayas in Nepal, which has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest.
Fatal accidents occur quite frequently. In October 2018, nine climbers died when a violent snowstorm destroyed their camp on a Himalayan peak in western Nepal.
Delta Air Lines sued by California teachers over fuel dump 

TOXIC POISONING FROM A REAL #CHEMTRAIL



Media captionThe Delta Airlines flight returned to the airport shortly after takeoff

Four teachers are suing Delta Air Lines after one of its aircraft dumped fuel over schools as it made an emergency landing.
The flight was forced to return to Los Angeles International Airport because of engine problems.
Delta confirmed the plane had dumped the fuel to reduce its landing weight. Nearly 60 people were treated at six local schools, many of them children.
The four teachers are now seeking unspecified damages over the incident.
"The plaintiffs could feel the fuel on their clothes, their flesh, their eyes and their skin," a lawyer for the teachers said, adding that the fuel "penetrated their mouths and noses as well, producing a lasting and severe irritation".
The teachers filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday. According to the Los Angeles Times, the suit says jet fuel is dangerous to humans and cites the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Delta has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
The flight was bound for Shanghai. It landed safely shortly after the fuel dump, with all 167 passengers and crew unharmed.

Map: Flight path of Delta Airlines flight 89
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Delta has already been cited by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for a violation. The agency characterised the fuel dump as a public nuisance.
It comes after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an investigation into the incident immediately after Tuesday's emergency landing.
Aviation rules say that planes can dump fuel in emergency landings, but only over designated areas and at a high altitude.
On Wednesday, the FAA said the crew had released the fuel without telling air traffic control.
A transcript of radio transmissions made public after the incident revealed that the pilot had initially told controllers there was no need to dump, before later releasing the fuel.

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Canada offers funds to families of Canadian victims of Flight 752

17 January 2020



Mr Trudeau said families would receive C$25,000 ($19,200USD; £14,600UK) per victim.

I LIKE THE COMPARISON IN DOLLARS AND POUNDS IT SHOWS HOW STARTLING CHEAP THE CANADIAN STATE IS

CHEAP LIKE SCROOGE MCDUCK 

A $100,000 CDN AT LEAST WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD START

THE VERY MINIMUM EACH VICTIMS FAMILIES SHOULD GET $1M CDN  
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin TrudeauImage copyrightAFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Image captionCanada has offered compensation to help with the immediate costs for families of some victims of Flight PS752

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada will compensate families of the victims of the Ukraine Airlines crash.
The funds are designed to assist families of victims who are Canadians citizens or permanent residents in covering related costs such as travel.
Mr Trudeau said families would receive C$25,000 ($19,200; £14,600) per victim.
Fifty-seven Canadian nationals were on the plane when it was hit by an Iranian air defence missile earlier this month.
"This is a unique and unprecedented situation because of the international sanctions place in Iran and the difficulties that that imposes on these families," Mr Trudeau said on Friday.
"This is the first step. These families have lost a loved one in extraordinary circumstances and this grieving is even more difficult as a result," he said.
Families are facing immediate financial pressures as they sort out the necessary funeral arrangements and travel in the wake of the tragedy, said Mr Trudeau. "These families need help now," he said.
The prime minister said Canada still expected Iran to financially compensate the victims' families for their loss.
The Ukraine International Airlines flight crashed shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital Tehran on 8 January, killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board. Iran initially denied it was involved, but later admitted the plane was brought down by a missile fired in error.
Mr Trudeau said Iran has been asked to send the "black box" flight and cockpit data recorders from a crashed jet to France, saying it was one of the few countries with the ability to quickly analyse the badly damaged devices.
He also said 20 families of Canadian victims had requested the repatriation of remains and that the first of those remains are expected to be returned to Canada in the coming days.
Also on Friday, Canada's Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne met with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Oman to press Mr Zarif on full access for officials from Canada and other affected nation to assist in the investigation into the passenger plane crash.
On Thursday, ministers from five nations which lost citizens on the flight demanded full co-operation from Iran in a transparent international inquiry into the crash. The foreign ministers of Afghanistan, Britain, Canada, Sweden and Ukraine also said Iran must pay compensation.
They agreed on five key demands to Iran, including a "thorough, independent and transparent international investigation" and compensation to the victims' families.