‘Are we on the wrong side of this?’ Farmers demand bailout as Trump’s tariffs cause economic shock

Farmers all over the U.S. are in danger of losing everything financially. Many are calling for another major bailout paid for by taxpayers to make up for the losses caused by President Donald Trump’s trade policies and reductions in federal programs. Making things even harder, extreme weather linked to climate change and unpredictable shifts in crop prices are hitting small and mid-sized farms the hardest.

According to The Guardian, in recent weeks, heavy rains and floods in Texas and the Midwest have destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of crops. Travis Johnson, a farmer from Texas, lost more than 1,000 acres of cotton, sorghum, and corn, showing just how bad things have gotten. He shared his worries, saying, “There’s a lot of uncertainty, and I don’t want to be used as a bargaining chip. I’m really concerned.”

Johnson’s situation shows how many different problems farmers are dealing with. His farm, in the Rio Grande Valley, depends on trade with Mexico, the U.S.’s biggest trading partner, while also selling sorghum and cotton to China. This major market now has a 125% tax on those crops because of Trump’s trade war.

Farmers may take big hits from trade war

This trade war is hitting important crops hard. Trump’s taxes on U.S. goods going to China are hurting sorghum and cotton sales, possibly shutting farmers out of their biggest markets. Per Yahoo, China and Canada have also struck back with their own taxes, making it harder to sell soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton, and other farm products. For example, soybean prices have fallen sharply.

China has added a 34% tax on many U.S. farm goods, including chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton. Canada has put a 25% tax on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods and may add more. However, trade problems aren’t the only issue. Farmers were already struggling with extreme weather and unstable crop prices, made worse by big corporations controlling much of the supply chain. Small and mid-sized farms were in trouble even before Trump’s policies.

For years, the Farm Bill pushed farmers to grow crops like soybeans and corn for export, tying prices to the global market—even for food sold in the U.S. This has led to fewer farms overall, with the remaining ones getting bigger, mostly owned by large corporations.

To make matters worse, Trump’s administration made deep cuts to important federal programs. They slashed funding for climate and conservation programs that were already underfunded, even though these programs helped farmers grow more food while protecting the environment. Local food programs, which gave farmers steady sales through schools and food banks, were shut down.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which bought huge amounts of wheat, sorghum, and lentils for food aid, was also dismantled. Losing this $2 billion-a-year market has made farming even more unstable. Trump’s tariffs were announced after most farmers had already planted their spring crops or bought supplies. This left them no way to switch to crops that might sell better in the U.S. market.