Because we are a small, less densely populated community, we have been relatively fortunate with the COVID-19 pandemic. Large, densely populated cities where the virus can easily spread more rapidly and social distancing is more difficult are where the pandemic has hit the worst. That explains why New York City is now the global epicenter of this crisis. Here in Hancock County, we are fortunate to be more naturally isolated. Nevertheless, we are greatly concerned for everyone’s health, especially the elderly.
A segment of our population that greatly concerns me, in terms of the potential impact of this crisis, is our farmers. Farmers tend to be a stoic lot, and like so many problems they have faced, they shoulder on with great resolve. One local farmer said they don’t even say the word "coronavirus," but rather refer to it as “that &%#* going around.” My initial concern arose when I considered that so many of them are of an age where the coronavirus is more deadly. Nationally, the average age of farmers is roughly 10 years older than many other professions. But agriculture is an industry in which much of the labor can be done from a safe distance. That is the good news. The troubling news is that farmers, who are already facing other struggles, face great potential for serious long-term damage to their economic well-being.
Like so many of you, I have lost a considerable portion of my retirement funds. I am confident that it will slowly return, though I can never regain the loss earnings those funds produced. The farm community may find recovery to be even more difficult. Many could lose their livelihood altogether. Low commodity prices and higher input costs have already left a negative impact on American farms, especially the smaller family farms. Farm debt hit a record high last year, and family farm bankruptcies were the highest in eight years.
Agriculture saw a light at the end of the tunnel with the promise from China to spend an increased $200 billion in American agricultural products, manufacturing, services and energy. The pandemic has, at best, put that vow on hold.
Farming is at the very center of the industries hurt hardest by this pandemic. Farmers are still producing our food supply, but as a local farmer put it, “the chain to get it to where it needs to be isn’t necessarily what it needs to be.” That disruption in the supply chain, due to the virus spread and the shut-down, is seen from veterinary medical products to shipping livestock and produce. What can government do besides the already-$19 billion sent out to aid the agricultural industry? First, realize that amount is not enough. Experts in the beef, pork and dairy industries project losses totaling nearly $24 billion. That doesn’t include chicken producers and all of the small farmers who are expected to lose on average $50 per acre.
Opening up the economy will help farmers considerably, but opening too soon will only create a stronger second wave. History tells us it was the second wave of the Spanish Flu that killed the most people. Therefore, the government must ensure massive testing of the population, including asymptomatic people, by the millions, and then creating a contact follow-up system, such as that in South Korea. Those steps are truly necessary to safely open up our economy to full strength.
You and I can also help by simply continuing social distancing. If you are one of the 12% of the population who think social distancing is going too far, let me remind you of the lyrics Elvis Presley sang, “Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread.”
Michael Adkins formerly was chair of the Hancock County Democratic Party.
