Dave Juday pointed out in a recent analysis that the Midwest and the South have reaped the most in Market Facilitation Payments (MFP) not because of politics but because that is where the major crops are grown. Notably, a class of crops that nutritionists advise be consumed in greater numbers gets no MFP payments and instead relies on direct government purchases for food aid – vegetables.  One can argue that these “specialty” crops are exported in much smaller proportions and consequently have not been as adversely impacted by the trade war. Moreover, growers of specialty crops have had the opportunity to garner greater government support but have chosen greater regulatory independence. Still, weighing changes in jus...

TAGS – North America, Macroeconomics