The House of Representatives has voted to extend the
existing Farm Bill yet again, this time into January.
The politicians have been trying for almost two years to
come up with a new Farm Bill, but the Senate and House of Representatives, the
Republicans and the Democrats, are still locked in an impasse.
The Democrats want to retain or increase food aid for poor
people; the Republicans want to cut it.
The Republicans want to retain or increase farm subsidies;
the Democrats want to cut them.
And in the background are two emerging developments that
could throw a spanner into the works.
One is trade negotiations with the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, the other with the European Union and both could result in major
cuts to farm subsidies and trade barriers.
The other is declining prices for gains, especially corn,
that could trigger substantial payouts.
One of the big issues for Canada is the failure, yet again,
of U.S. politicians to back off County of Origin Labeling for meats.
The World Trade Organization has ruled the old regulations
illegal under the U.S. trade obligations; the new ones are, Canadian and
Mexicans and U.S. meat packers say, even worse and therefore likely to also be
rejected by the World Trade Organization.
