VISITORS GET DOSE OF FREE-ENTERPRISE FARMING

A group of agribusinessmen is in Missouri looking at the diverse agriculture-related industries in the Show Me State. Missouri is a good place to visit if you want to learn about farming and the marketing of farm products, because the state is still a national leader in agribusiness.

So it isn't unusual that such a group would come here to learn how Missourians make a living by farming and related businesses. What is unusual is that these visitors are from Azerbaijan, an independent country on the shore of the Caspian Sea -- and a former republic of the Soviet Union.

The Azerbaijanis are pretty much having to start from scratch. Even with the knowledge they are acquiring, the republic still doesn't permit private ownership of land. This means that any acres being tilled and grazed still belongs to the state. Of course, the Azerbaijanis will be hearing quite a bit about free enterprise and the rights of private landowners while they are here.

The visitors started their Missouri visit in Cape Girardeau for a few days. They are visiting other parts of the state, ending their tour later this month in Kansas City. While in Cape Girardeau, the Azerbaijanis were guests of Southeast Missouri State University. They also took some field trips in Southeast Missouri.

Although American-style farming will no doubt be an eye-opener for the visitors, they will also be exposed to the realities of the U.S. farm economy.

For example, Lesson No. 1 in a free-enterprise system is that you can make a lot of money if you work hard, make good business decisions and are able to find markets for what you produce. But Lesson No. 1 has a corollary, which is Lesson No. 2: In a free society, you can also lose your shirt.

Just talk to farmers around here, who are experiencing some of the worst market conditions in recent memory. High yields and good weather don't guarantee a big bank account when prices for many commodities are below the cost of producing them.

In Azerbaijan, the government owns the farmland, creating a seemingly endless cycle: Without private ownership, farmers there don't have collateral to borrow money to buy farmland or equipment or seed or fertilizer. So the state keeps the land under its control.

In the United States, farmers borrow heavily against the land they till. If the farm economy goes sour, they risk losing their land -- and their livelihood, unless the government steps in with bailouts and financial relief.

Let's hope the Azerbaijanis return home with a sense that free enterprise is worth the risks.