Last updated on 2015-10-12
Not flip-flopping on TPP: Lucas Lentsch, South Dakota Secretary of Factory Farming Agriculture.
In March, Secretary Lentsch said the Trans-Pacific Partnership would be great for South Dakota ag producers:
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade agreement currently being negotiated among the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Seventy-three percent of all exports from South Dakota end up in TPP countries. Expanded access to these markets means expanded opportunities for South Dakota producers [Agriculture Secretary Lucas Lentsch, “Trade Creates New Opportunities for Ag,” AgWeek, 2015.03.09].
Now with TPP hammered out into leakable text by the twelve signatory nations and South Dakota’s Congressional delegation going wobbly, Secretary Lentsch holds the line: TPP is hunky-dory!
Lucas Lentsch, South Dakota’s secretary of agriculture, said the agreement is tremendously important to Main Streets and ag producers across the state.
The Asia-Pacific region represents a huge market for ag products, he said. Countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for as much as 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion, according to USDA.
“We have added many value-added systems in our state that can benefit from the increased opportunities for trade,” Lentsch said. “Producers deserve the best prices possible, and this can help improve prices.”
Access to the markets will offer the opportunity to sell products grown and raised in the state, such as wheat, pork and beef, he said.
“By having this opportunity to improve the bottom line, benefits will come to those providing services to South Dakota farmers, such as suppliers of inputs and services,” Lentsch said [Connie Groop, “Lentsch: State Would Benefit from Trade Deal,” Aberdeen American News, 2015.10.09].
Given the state’s dogged “get big or get out” pro-corporate ag philosophy, it probably makes no difference to Lentsch and the Daugaard Administration if TPP simply opens the door (as suggested in an article shared yesterday by an eager reader in our discussion of Senator Thune’s flip-flop prep) for foreign companies to buy up South Dakota farm operations, expand concentrated animal feeding operations, and demand even weaker regulation of the stink and slop emanating from their factory farms. TPP could lead us to more neighbors being stunk out of their homes and counties shrugging in regulatory impotence, as is happening right now in Davison County, thanks to Jackrabbit Farms’ unwillingness to curb the stench of its 5,000 CAFO sows and the county’s unwillingness to act.
Sure, Secretary Lentsch: the increased profits from ag exports to Brunei should just about make up for lost land value and the cost of respirators. Free trade doesn’t sound so free.
I guess that I do not have to inquire as to Gov. Daugaard’s stance on the TPP. If Sec. Lentsch is for it then so is the governor. As if I didn’t already know that.
Hmmmm… just thinking about supply and demand… if the prices are dropping for beef and pork perhaps they should back off on the supply end of things instead of expanding as fast as they can build facilities. The model is still not sustainable, eventually the market will be saturated again or a health scare will shut the doors to the other countries…. then what? ship usda prime beef to Mars? oh and how come the price of beef hasn’t come down at the supermarket?
The Corn Growers Assoc. and the Farm Bureau are also big backers of the TPP. If I had to guess I would bet that the US Chamber of Commerce also supports the TPP. The Farmers Union is against the TPP. I would guess that the Stockgrowers Assoc. member groups do not support the TPP.
I’ll trust most whatever DRA has to say about TPP.
In the meantime, SD’s “get big or get out pro-corporate ag philosophy” has been pushing real family farms off their land since the 1980s. Let’s see. I believe we’ve been governed by Republicans all that time. Evidently Republican policies are really bad for the state’s Number One Industry.
If human beings are going to eat, they will buy food. And we have the food so they will buy a lot from us. Always been that way. These trade ‘deals send our manufacturing jobs overseas. Try to hire welders so they can watch their jobs leave. Try to start an industrial park in Sioux Falls by the railroad and watch the companies go overseas. Why trade what our state has so other states can crumble and raise the number of food stamp users. Look at more than yourself before you decide on this. Oh, that is not conservative so it will not happen here.
Deb Geelsdottir,
Dakota Rural Action has come out against TPP since we first learned about it. It is designed to promote corporate farming and does nothing to help the small farmer or organic farmers or local foods farmers.
DRA is also actively involved in the fight against CAFO ‘s and those that will degrade our water and way of life. I’m talking about you DD.
Thanks Paul. I was pretty sure DRA felt that way. So do I. I trust DRA’s take on ag issues much more than the big corporations, right wing ‘think tanks,’ or Republican/Koch state agencies.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a Democratic governor looked to DRA for recommendations to agriculture-related posts? Oh my.
Deb, you bring a stunning thought to mind: imagine if Governor Herseth Sandlin appointed Paul Seamans or Frank James Secretary of Agriculture.
(Governor Huether would never do such a thing, since he’s likely a corporate “get big or get out” guy, too.)
Amusing Cory. I could sure go for a Governor Herseth Sandlin however she might have to go with Frank as Sec. of Agriculture. I am still registered as a Republican. For Stephanie I would sure switch to Dem.
Wingnuts get their ag policy from Farm Burro and the khamber of korporate kommerce for the koch bros.
The US Chamber of Commerce is the enemy of every worker in this country. They have been trying to destroy unions since their inception. They fund the anti-union Workforce Freedom Initiative. Take a look at that website. How anyone thinks that the TPP is going to be good for American workers is beyond me with supporters such as the US Chamber, Orin Hatch, Paul Ryan, Rand Paul, John Boehner, etc.
Paul.you are so right about the C of C.
Good one Mike. Farm Burro indeed. You shouldn’t insult dumb animals like that!
Paul, as chief of staff (Stephanie, you’re reading, and you’ll pick me, right? :-D ), I assure you that party affiliation will not disqualify you for a position in the Herseth Sandlin administration. We will make clear to all state offices that your performance, not your politics, determine your continued employment and advancement in public employment.
Cory,
Is it to early to start calling you chief. I am sure that Stephanie would not let party affiliation rule how she would run things. She would make a great governor. I would rather she stay here in South Dakota than go to D.C.