MEDIA SILENT AS US AG EXPORTS HIT RECORD HIGH

       The hyenas in the Corporate Media have been spending Thanksgiving Week doing what they do best: sex-shaming men while simultaneously peddling salacious soft-core stories to titillate all those who are 'above' such things. Sex sells; and the Media no doubt needs something to boost their ratings since its predicted that the traditional Thanksgiving Day NFL games will be the least-watched ever.

        We can all be thankful, though, for America's farmers and ranchers. And they, in turn, can be thankful for the Trump Administration. The USDA announced on Monday that Fiscal Year 2017 will be the 3rd-highest year of American agricultural exports since President Lincoln established the cabinet post in 1862. Exports totaled over $140 billion: up 30% from Obama's last year in office. 

        Soybean exports were the commodity leader; hitting a record high and likely about to go higher. President Trump negotiated a lifting of China's import ban on soybeans in Beijing last week. Indeed, China has surged to become America's leading agricultural customer. This is largely again due to Trump negotiating Chinese purchases of rice and beef earlier this year. China had a ban on importing both for over a decade. 

          Cotton exports jumped 70% with wheat (21%) and corn (6%) rounding out the top gains.

          It's interesting to note that the countries following China as top importers were also countries with whom Trump negotiated trade deals. In second place is Canada, with whom Trump negotiated a bilateral lifting of trade restrictions last Spring. Mexico is third, with whom Trump negotiated a deal on sugar and corn. The Japanese Empire is fourth; the Imperial Cabinet recently agreed to lift bans on US potatoes and poultry. South Korea, the fifth, repealed bans on American poultry last Summer and has also agreed to import eggs, though with some conditions. 

         As a holiday side note, cranberry and pumpkin production was also up slightly, although these crops are not widely exported. Turkey production was stable. Mexico is America's largest importer of turkeys, accounting for about 70% US turkey exports. 

         One would think that a story like this would be headline news. American Agriculture today is a Bull Market. For the first time in decades, we're starting to see significant entrepreneurial interest in farming, fisheries, and processing. Trump's recent meetings at the ASEAN Summit holds promise for expanding exports into Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines---representing a consumer base of nearly 300 million people. 

         A lot more exciting than hearing about who pinched some newswoman's tush 30 years ago, don't you think? While the media dwells on that, though; others are busy feeding the world.