What saeth the Republicans - should we turn a blind eye to the skyrocketing prices of farmland?

[PaoliLion]

Option 1: Let capitalism reign - what’s good for the goose is good for the gander - cheer the skyrocketing prices of farmland (and, eventually food)
Option 2: Regress to “socialism” - implement policies that drives down prices

Farmland Values Hit Record Highs, Pricing Out Farmers

Small farmers are now going up against deep-pocketed investors, including private equity firms and real estate developers.

www.nytimes.com

 

[NJPSU]

Not surprisingly, when Trump paid off the farmers prior to the 2020 election we heard crickets from the Right.

 

[interrobang]

Not surprisingly, when Trump paid off the farmers prior to the 2020 election we heard crickets from the Right.

Speaking of crickets

Farmers will get $3.1 billion in USDA loan relief from Biden

Farmers of color, many of whom were promised target debt relief, will now be lumped into payments with all farmers.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[2lion70]

Speaking of crickets

Farmers will get $3.1 billion in USDA loan relief from Biden

Farmers of color, many of whom were promised target debt relief, will now be lumped into payments with all farmers.

www.cbsnews.com

Welfare queens with their big trucks, cell phones, and multiple TVs.

 

[m.knox]

Welfare queens with their big trucks, cell phones, and multiple TVs.

Farmers of color are welfare queens? Just checking.

 

[lurkerlion]

What is driving all the farmland speculation? What caused all the speculation in the housing market by private equity investors?

Bill Gates is buying a lot obviously. He has his own weird agendas which screws up the market. Will the market self correct after he dies or loses interest?

Private equity will seek highest return. Since family farms tend to hang onto land for emotional reasons, turnover is relatively low. Emotions will not affect private equity firms, so more land will be developed yearly—less for farming each year.

Foreign investment is tricky I guess. Japan bought everything in the eighties but then sold at a loss. China plays a longer game, so they may have a plan. I mean a larger plan than buying thousands of acres around missile bases in North Dakota which is insane for us to allow.

There is a finite amount of land. There is a smaller amount farmland. You can’t make more and much of it disappears each year due to development. Now we have a bubble of abnormal investment which could have long term consequences. Bubbles are never good because they pop. IDK if I trust the government or the market with bubbles so it is scary.