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Friday, January 22, 2021
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Opinion
Editor & Publisher
Managing Editor
Joe Beach
Carl Sampson
opinions@capitalpress.com | CapitalPress.com/opinion
Our View
County trying to railroad farmers
T
he Yamhill County Com-
mission has again been
sent back to the drawing
board over its ill-conceived plan
to convert about three miles of an
abandoned rail line into a recre-
ational trail.
The county has been a regu-
lar visitor to the Oregon Land
Use Board of Appeals as it tried
to ignore the concerns of farm-
ers whose property borders the
old rail line. So far, the county is 0
for 3, as LUBA has sided with the
farmers.
The county still has not
acknowledged that having a rec-
reational trail dividing farmland
will have a profound impact on the
farmers and their livelihoods.
Many a farmer knows what hap-
pens when walkers and bicyclists
begin wandering around on their
property. Some uninvited visi-
tors use the farms as outdoor toi-
lets. Others help themselves to the
land as a picnic spot, leaving gar-
bage behind. Others are shocked
to discover that farms occasionally
spray pesticides to keep insects
and plant diseases at bay. Still oth-
ers help themselves to crops and
let their kids run near dangerous
farm equipment and livestock.
Another consideration: Setbacks
required for pesticide applications
will cost those farmers time and
money.
In a sentence, a recreational
trail is incompatible with working
farmland.
Consider also that the county is
close to the Portland Metro area.
That means a sunny summer day
during the growing season could
attract crowds of walkers, bicy-
clists and others.
The county has pursued the trail
project backwards. The first thing
it should have done is meet with
local farmers to understand the
impacts such a project would have
on them.
Then the county should have
addressed those impacts. If they
couldn’t be addressed to the sat-
isfaction of the farmers, who live
there and depend on that land to
make a living, the whole trail idea
should have been dropped.
That’s what an editorial in this
newspaper said last June.
It was correct then, and it’s cor-
rect now.
Yamhill County must stop try-
ing to railroad those farmers.
Keep momentum going on
trade for wheat farmers
Our View
ith the United
States bringing
in a new admin-
istration, one of a different
political party, some changes
in trade policy and strategy
could be expected. As the
Biden administration takes
shape, the National Asso-
ciation of Wheat Growers
(NAWG) encourages it to
build upon the trade successes
of the Trump administration.
Additionally, NAWG
stresses the importance of
coalition-building in pursu-
ing solutions to trade disputes
and to work towards restoring
a functional appeals system at
the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
Further, NAWG urges the
Biden administration to advo-
cate for wheat on the world
stage by continuing to sup-
port export market develop-
ment programs through the
annual budget process and
to work collaboratively to
reduce trade barriers. The
U.S. exports 50% of its wheat
crop, making it a priority for
America’s farmers, which
should also mean a priority
for the new administration.
The Trump adminis-
tration’s efforts to rene-
gotiate the North Ameri-
can Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA), now known as the
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agree-
ment (USMCA), proved to
be beneficial for wheat grow-
ers. Mexico has also consis-
tently been a top market for
U.S. wheat exports. Through
NAFTA, the U.S. had tar-
iff-free access, which was
maintained in USMCA.
Additionally, USMCA
made important improve-
ments to Canada’s grain grad-
ing system, which provides
better treatment of U.S. wheat
being sold to Canadian eleva-
tors, and it updated the sani-
tary and phytosanitary (SPS)
standards that were modeled
from the SPS requirements in
the Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP). Maintaining tariff-free
access and strengthening sci-
ence-based disciplines for
SPS measures with Mexico
is essential to the U.S. wheat
industry. NAWG is counting
on the Biden administration
to fully honor the intent of the
USMCA.
Another notable suc-
cess garnered by the Trump
administration is the Phase
1 trade deal with China. In
exchange for the U.S. cut-
ting some of its tariffs on Chi-
nese goods, China pledged
to purchase more American
farm, energy and manufac-
tured goods. Retaliatory tar-
iffs from China had a signifi-
cantly negative impact on
farmers.
However, since the sign-
ing of the Phase 1 agree-
ment with China, combined
with the market development
efforts undertaken by U.S.
W
$15 minimum wage would
hit rural economy hard
ulfilling a campaign promise, Joe
Biden wants to boost the federal mini-
mum wage to $15 an hour.
Farmers, whose livelihoods and property
are on the line, are right to be wary of the
possibilities.
Proponents suggest that employers are
able either to absorb increased labor costs, or
increase prices to offset costs without negative
impacts to employees.
It’s political claptrap.
Advocates say boosting the minimum wage
will give millions of Americans a much-
needed raise — or, at least, the ones lucky
enough to keep their jobs. Politicians and pro-
ponents somehow miss the fact that hard-
pressed employers will scour their operations
for ways to reduce their payrolls to offset the
increase. In addition to layoffs, many will
switch to part-time and on-call employees as
ways to save money.
Mechanization and automation, which elim-
inate jobs, will also become more attractive.
This wage hike would hurt small busi-
nesses the most. Big chains can absorb the
increase, safe in the knowledge that their
F
smaller competitors won’t be able to keep up.
Those smaller ag operations and processors in
labor-intensive sectors will be forced to sell
out to larger competitors.
And it’s not only businesses that will feel
the pinch. Local governments and school dis-
tricts will also have to raise wages, or cut staff.
President Biden put his proposal to increase
the minimum wage into his $2 billion COVID
relief package. He most likely believes reluc-
tant lawmakers — even many moderate
Democrats have balked at the $15 figure —
will have a tougher time saying “no” if it’s
wrapped in the flag of pandemic aid.
But Congress needs to be cautious. The
result will be fewer jobs, fewer businesses and
a weaker rural economy. Putting the thousands
of businesses battered by government reaction
to the virus on a better footing makes more
sense than increasing their costs.
Those seeking higher minimum wages want
to use other people’s money to make political
points with their supporters.
Proponents of higher minimum wages may
be disappointed to find out that a robust econ-
omy, not governmental fiat, benefits workers
most.
Activist stories do not reflect reality of mink farming
ith the concerns we all
Mutations are very common with
have about bringing
all viruses — and some can be dan-
COVID-19 under control, gerous, like the variant that has
it is not surprising that out-
emerged among humans in
breaks on several U.S. mink
Britain — but there is lit-
farms have become news, a
GUEST tle concern among health
authorities that the mutation
story fanned by those who
VIEW
that occurred in Denmark
already oppose any use of
will reduce the efficacy of
Michael
animals, even for food.
Whelan
The more outrageous
vaccines for humans.
and sensational the fears,
Dr. Anthony Fauci,
of course, the more likely
America’s leading virolo-
that they spread quickly through the gist, states, “It does not appear, at
this point, that that mutation that’s
news media and social networks.
Less exciting is the insistence by
been identified in the minks is going
animal and public health authorities
to have an impact on vaccines and
that the virus in mink presents little
affect a vaccine-induced response.”
risk to the general population.
Activists have also jumped on the
The facts are clear: There are no
news that two mink trapped outside
documented cases of mink-to-hu-
infected farms (one in Utah and one
man transmission of the SARS-
in Oregon) showed low levels of
CoV-2 virus in the U.S. There were
the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They claim
12 suspected cases of transmission
these isolated cases represent an
of the “Cluster 5” mutation of the
existential threat to wildlife and may
virus in Denmark (not 214 “con-
create a “viral reservoir” that will
firmed cases,” as activists are claim- endanger public health.
ing). Furthermore, this Cluster 5
They rarely mention that at least
variant has not been detected since
nine other species were captured at
September and is now considered
the same time, and none tested pos-
itive for the virus. Mink are solitary
extinct.
W
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press File
Opponents of Yamhill County’s plan for
a rail-to-trail project through farmland
gather in McMinnville, Ore., in 2019.
Even after being rejected three times
by the state Land Use Board of Appeals,
the county is still trying to push through
the trail project.
animals, and experts agree that it is
highly unlikely that they will spread
the virus to humans or wildlife.
Another fact not often reported
is that the virus on affected mink
farms is rapidly clearing. The most
recent round of testing on the farm
in Oregon has found no trace of
the virus. Mink farmers have long
practiced robust biosecurity to pro-
tect their animals from diseases car-
ried by wildlife. By implementing
stepped-up precautions as recom-
mended by the USDA and the CDC,
mink farmers have been able to suc-
cessfully contain the outbreaks that
have occurred.
So, next time you read the end-
of-the-world scenarios being used
to call for an end to mink farming,
spare a moment to think of the farm-
ers who are acting responsibly to
protect their animals, their liveli-
hoods, and the health of their fami-
lies and neighbors.
Michael Whelan is the executive
director of Fur Commission USA,
the national trade association repre-
senting U.S. mink farmers, based in
Medford, Ore.
GUEST
VIEW
Chandler
Goule
Wheat Associates (USW),
U.S. wheat sales to China
have totaled more than 2.8
million tons, representing a
near doubling of our long-
term average annual sales to
China.
Separately, trade and
investment discussions with
Vietnam, a growing wheat
import market, resulted in
securing a reduced tariff rate
for imported U.S. wheat.
Additionally, the bilateral
agreement with Japan nego-
tiated by the Trump adminis-
tration put the U.S. back onto
a level playing field with our
competitors. The next admin-
istration should continue
to build upon these market
development actions.
Unfortunately, China con-
tinues to be a bad actor in the
trade arena and some coun-
tries are following suit. In
2019, the United States won
two WTO cases against Chi-
na’s tariff rate quota scheme
and domestic support poli-
cies. However, China has yet
to fully comply in either case.
Additionally, India and
other developing countries
have been on the same trend
of providing trade distort-
ing subsidies that far exceed
WTO commitments. The
Biden administration should
build on the China domes-
tic support case’s success to
bring other countries into
compliance through litigation.
American wheat farm-
ers need a strong voice on the
world stage. There are many
opportunities for the Biden
administration to be an inter-
national advocate for wheat
and capitalize on new trade
deals. For instance, Brexit
provides an opportunity for
change to wheat exports to
the United Kingdom, and
hopefully wheat tariffs will
be fully eliminated in a final
U.S.-U.K. agreement.
International trade is crit-
ical to U.S. wheat growers,
and our overseas customers
demand high quality wheat,
which American farmers
are proud to supply. NAWG
urges the Biden administra-
tion to continue to work from
the Trump administration’s
trade successes. Additionally,
the new administration must
hold bad actors, like China, to
their commitments and make
them accountable for violat-
ing any WTO rulings.
Further, NAWG asks the
Biden administration to be a
strong advocate for wheat on
the international stage and to
help find new market oppor-
tunities for wheat.
Chandler Goule is CEO
of the National Association
of Wheat Growers.