Trump’s tariffs have been disastrous for US farmers. China is shopping elsewhere and will never buy as much from the US again. Meanwhile climate change, which Trump has called a Chinese hoax, is making it harder to grow crops. Trump’s lack of acknowledgement will make it harder to combat the climate problems. The majority of Trump’s farm subsidies went to richer farms.
“Net farm income across the country right now is half of what it was six years ago. Every year it ratchets down. This trade uncertainty makes things far, far worse for farmers,” says Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union, about the ongoing US-China trade war. pic.twitter.com/2MuvatkkvQ
— CNN (@CNN) August 13, 2019
Farm income is way down, bankruptcies are way up, and farmers are relying on government payments to make ends meet.
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) August 13, 2019
So, of course, it’s the perfect time for Sonny Perdue to joke about “whining” farmers. #CantMakeThisUp https://t.co/Mj26XbKmPv
”Farmers’ discontent over President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with China erupted into the open Wednesday as his agriculture secretary was confronted at a fair in rural Minnesota.” https://t.co/3uSFxhaoyd
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) August 7, 2019
'Trump is ruining our markets': Farmers lose a huge customer to trade war — China https://t.co/OPRWeX4IGQ
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 12, 2019
Due to bad weather conditions, slumping prices and a big trade war, farmers are resorting to side jobs including hosting pizza nights for tourists, to make ends meet. https://t.co/gyAVleyn6K
— Axios (@axios) August 9, 2019
‘Crops aren’t moving. There’s no market’: Why so many family farms are facing bankruptcy – The Washington Post https://t.co/dMEhnDzHqZ
— Le Chat Proud Democrat (@LeChatNoire4) August 7, 2019
BREAKING: Trump trade aid paid the top 1% of farmers an average $188,000 while the bottom 80% averaged less than $5,000, @ewg analysis finds. https://t.co/bWJbuoh0UZ via @markets
— Mike Dorning (@MikeDorning) July 30, 2019
Socializing Big Ag https://t.co/SvooQuGZOG
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) July 31, 2019
Trump’s dumb trade war is hurting farmers so now taxpayers get stuck with the tab as he tries to buy back their votes https://t.co/w6VuRCR4WJ
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) July 26, 2019
Trump was asked what he got in return. He said China agreed to purchase ‘tens of billions’ in US farm products, but he has said this before & farmers have complained that no orders ever materialized.
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) June 29, 2019
Chinese officials confirmed nothing. https://t.co/7B2kuPHjnQ
Trump’s trade wars are pushing America’s rural economy toward a full-blown meltdown after years of financial hardship, and it's causing more farmers to default on loans while putting the squeeze on agricultural lenders https://t.co/wGpwQTkAkD
— POLITICO (@politico) June 24, 2019
“When he was on the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to stop the ‘war on the American farmer.’ He has broken that promise, and Ohio's farm community is paying the price.” – @DavidPepper https://t.co/kIOYR8IAmS
— David C. DeWitt (@DC_DeWitt) August 14, 2019
"I'm scared for my future. I'm scared for my family's future." Farmers are the front lines of America’s climate crisis. So long as we allow special interests to control the narrative, agricultural communities will suffer – along with everyone else.https://t.co/eixZR1HubY
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) August 13, 2019
Farmers are turning to drones and other technology to conserve water from a crucial river in the US West that's under pressure from climate change and booming cities. https://t.co/iwWsVZrlbk
— AP West Region (@APWestRegion) August 14, 2019
Sad! 