THE 2018 GROWING SEASON STARTED OUT A LITTLE ROUGH FOR NUT AND RICE GROWERS WITH THE FROST AND WET WEATHER,ESPECIALLY IN THE RICHVALE AREA. AND THE ANXIETY CONTINUED TO BUILD WITH UNRELENTING HOT WEATHER THAT WE HAD IN LATE JUNE THROUGH AUGUST. BUT WEATHER WAS NOT THE ONLY BUMPS IN THE ROAD FOR GROWERS THIS YEAR.

BESIDES DEALING WITH WEATHER ISSUES, FARMERS ARE FACING MANY OTHER SERIOUS ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ISSUES THAT CONTINUE TO CLOUD THE HORIZON. THE RUMOR MILL HAD 2018 RICE BETWEEN $12 AND $14 THOUGH HARVEST. THESE NUMBERS MAYBE ACCEPTABLE TO SOME BUT FOR MOST GROWERS THAT I HAVE TALK TO THESE NUMBERS JUST DON'T COMPUTE. THE OUTRAGEOUS PRICE FOR PARTS AND SERVICES ALONE CAN CAUSE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. AND FUEL, FERTILIZERS AND CHEMICALS ALL SEEM TO GO ONE DIRECTION; AND THAT'S UP! NOT ONLY HAS LABOR INCREASED DRAMATICALLY BUT TRY TO FIND GOOD EXPERIENCED OPERATORS AT CRUNCH TIME. I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF FARMERS THAT HAD TO ASK THEIR WIFE AND/OR KIDS TO FILL IN DURING HARVEST!

NOW TO THE OUTSIDER/CONSUMER WOULD LOOK AT THIS AND SAY STOP CRYING. OF COURSE NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THAT FARMERS FACE, I WOULD SAY LET THEM TAKE OUT THESE INSANE LOANS EACH YEAR AND TAKE THE BURDEN OF RISK. AND IF ALL THIS ISN'T ENOUGH, NOW THE FARMERS ARE FACING THE TARIFF WARS THAT ARE HEATING UP.

AND OF COURSE, MANY WANT TO BLAME PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR THE TARIFF WARS, BUT HISTORY CLEARLY TELLS US IT'S NOT TRUE. CHINA STARTED PLACING TARIFFS ON OUR GOODS YEARS AGO WITH NO RESPONSE FROM OUR LEADERS. AND HISTORICALLY WHO TAKES THE BRUNT OF THESE TARIFF WARS, THE FARMERS DO. AND IF THESE ISSUES ARE NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE ONE SCREAM, WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT MANY COMMODITY PRICES AND HAVE FALLING THROUGH THE FLOOR THIS SUMMER.

BOTH WALNUT AND ALMOND PRICES HAVE TAKEN A HUGE HIT. ONLY REBOUNDING SLIGHTLY IN THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS. BUT OF GREATEST CONCERN IS THE EARLY OFFERING OF RICE PRICES BY THE MILLS GOING INTO THE FINAL WEEK OF HARVEST. LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE MILLS COULD DO BETTER THAN $14, SINCE AVAILABILITY WAS VERY LOW GOING INTO HARVEST. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH MY BLOG LET ME KNOW. DENNIS WILSON NOV.8, 2018