There are direct and indirect impacts of President Trump's Trade War with China. Farmers are receiving aid instead of trade -- when the chant goes "Trade Not Aid" -- out of farmers mouths. The farming aid that has been distributed has been done unequally as to impact some farmers more badly than others. The take-home message is that farmers are deeply worried about the present state of farming in the Trump Era.
Worrying has caused unnecessary amounts of anxiety which manifests itself in different forms of mental health. Politico has reported that farmers are increasingly suffering greater mental health issues surrounding the state of the farming economy:
TESTER TAKES AIM AT FARM SUICIDE RATES: The Montana Democrat is pushing a new bill that would expand voluntary training for farm-facing Agriculture Department employees and promote mental health awareness through billboards, radio and TV ads, in an effort to bring down high rates of mental health problems in rural and agricultural communities.
Tester, a farmer himself, told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that tough conditions in the farm economy are increasingly taking a mental toll on producers. "When you're sitting on a tractor for 10-14 hours a day and thinking about all the things that are going wrong in your life, it can screw with your head," he said, citing low commodity prices, high equipment costs, isolation and other stress factors."We're seeing bankruptcies go through the roof," Tester added. "We're seeing folks that are in crisis with more regularity than what we should be accepting."He estimated that the legislation will cost $3 million in total. It would also direct Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to create a mental health taskforce with state and local officials.Next steps: The measure is likely to go through either the Agriculture or HELP committees, and it could eventually reach the floor as a standalone bill or part of a broader legislative package, Tester predicted. "The problem we've had is that [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] hasn't taken many bills to the floor," he added.
Farmers are pretty tough people. As my wife from the midwest remarks every time that we visit back in Nebraska, "Why would people want to live here? It's a tough life with the weather." Now, throw into the mix an economy running on an uncertain future under the Trump administration. What is the product? So far, mental health issues among other concerns with farmers.
Any way that the Trade War is viewed results in an adverse perspective. Why would farmers not have difficulty during these times? It is time that the greater government step in and start providing actual certainty instead of just lip service on TV.
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