Michael Melius, Hermosa 2:12 p.m. CST December 15, 2016

With record crops producing low prices and depressed farm incomes, it’s like old times in agriculture. We probably won’t see farmers respond with tractorcades converging on Washington, D.C., as they did in the late 1970’s. Farmers have too much political and market clout to play the part of victims this time.

Farmers today have the USDA set up pretty much the way they want it. While otherwise decrying regulations as interfering with farming, they are content to have USDA attempt to regulate prices and market demand. Meanwhile, production controls are all but divorced from farm program benefits.

Farmers are fewer and better organized than ever. If they want better prices, they ought to try moving markets by signaling lower planting intentions for next year. If South Dakota Corn and other industry associations don’t want to try that, and don’t want the USDA to reinstate production controls, why should they expect taxpayers to continue to compensate farmers for the low prices that result from overproduction?