(The Center Square) – As Congress continues working on the long-overdue federal farm bill, American farmers entering planting season are facing a grim financial landscape.
Due to the U.S.-Iran conflict and the Trump administration’s tariffs, American farmers are getting slapped with higher operational costs, which not only raise the cost of consumer goods but also threaten small farmers’ already fragile financial solvency.
kAm%96 &]$] =@DE >@C6 E92? `de[___ 72C>D 36EH66? a_`f 2?5 a_ad[ 244@C5:?8 E@ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2DD]FD52]8@G^!F3=:42E:@?D^%@52JD0#6A@CED^C6A@CED^7?=@_aae]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qma_ae &]$] r6?DFD 52E2k^2mk^DEC@?8m] uC@> a_ac E@ a_ad 2=@?6[ 72C> 32?<CFAE4J 7:=:?8D ;F>A65 3J ceT[ E96 u2C> qFC62F kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]73]@C8^>2C<6E\:?E6=^72C>\32?<CFAE4:6D\4@?E:?F65\E@\4=:>3\:?\a_adQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC6A@CE65k^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
kAm“&?46CE2:?EJ 2C@F?5 E96 2G2:=23:=:EJ 2?5 AC:46 @7 76CE:=:K6CD 2?5 6?6C8J :D 2=C625J :?7=F6?4:?8 564:D:@?D @? :?AFE FD6[ 4C@A >2?286>6?E[ 2?5 :?G6DE>6?E[ H:E9 5:C64E 4@?D6BF6?46D 7@C J:6=5D 2?5 7FEFC6 DFAA=J[” E96 }2E:@?2= u2C>6CD &?:@? H2C?65 :? pAC:=]k^Am
kAm“u6CE:=:K6C 4@DED 92G6 C:D6? D92CA=J D:?46 E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 4C:D:D[ H9:=6 4C@A AC:46D 92G6 C6>2:?65 =2C86=J DE23=6 – 2 4@>3:?2E:@? E92E :D DBF66K:?8 72C> >2C8:?D 2E 9:DE@C:42==J A@@C =6G6=D[ =62G:?8 72C>6CD H:E9 =:>:E65 42A24:EJ E@ 23D@C3 7FCE96C D9@4<D]”k^Am
kAmq67@C6 9@DE:=:E:6D :? xC2? 3682?[ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A’D kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42AED\?5DF]4@>^07:=6D^F85^b4eaag057fh7`7ca3d7c5hg2_cag2a4cb_gd3hg]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE2C:77D @? 28C:4F=EFC2= :?AFEDk^2mk^DEC@?8m :?4=F5:?8 72C> >249:?6CJ[ 28C:4F=EFC2= 496>:42=D[ 2?5 76CE:=:K6C DBF66K65 E96 4@F?ECJVD 28C:4F=EFC2= D64E@C[ E9@F89 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 5:5 2EE6>AE E@ @77D6E D@>6 @7 E96 4@?D6BF6?46D 3J 5:DEC:3FE:?8 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]FD52]8@G^23@FE\FD52^?6HD^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^a_ad^`a^_g^ECF>A\25>:?:DEC2E:@?\2??@F?46D\`a\3:==:@?\72C>6C\3C:586\A2J>6?ED\2>6C:42?\72C>6CD\:>A24E65\F?72:CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmS`a 3:==:@? :? @?6\E:>6 3C:586 A2J>6?EDk^2mk^DEC@?8m E@ p>6C:42? 72C>6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 @?8@:?8 >:=:E2CJ 9@DE:=:E:6D :? xC2? 2C6 :?7=:4E:?8 6G6? >@C6 52>286 5F6 E@ EC256 5:DCFAE:@?D :? E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK[ H9:49 92G6 DA:<65 E96 4@DED @7 7F6= 2?5 76CE:=:K6C]k^Am
kAms:6D6= 7F6= AC:46D 92G6 :?4C62D65 3J C@F89=J cdT[ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]73]@C8^>2C<6E\:?E6=^72C>\3FC62F\DFCG6J\C6G62=D\C62=\:>A24E\@7\76CE:=:K6C\2G2:=23:=:EJ\2?5\AC:46Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmA6C 52E2 7C@> u2C> qFC62Fk^2mk^DEC@?8m[ H9:=6 23@FE f_T @7 72C>6CD DFCG6J65 D2:5 E96J 42??@E 277@C5 E96 2>@F?E @7 76CE:=:K6C E96J ?665k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ ?6HD C6A@CED[ E96 4@DE @7 5@:?8 3FD:?6DD 92D C:D6? adT 7@C D@>6 p>6C:42? 72C>6CD D:?46 E96 4@?7=:4E 3682? :? u63CF2CJ]k^Am
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ C646?E 7@C642DED 7C@> E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 5@ ?@E @776C >F49 9@A6 @7 C6=:67]k^Am
kAm%@E2= 72C> 563E :D AC@;64E65 E@ 3C62< C64@C5D :? a_ae[ C6249:?8 C@F89=J Sead 3:==:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 56A2CE>6?E’D “&]$] 72C> D64E@C 7:?2?4:2= :?5:42E@CD” kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6CD]FD52]8@G^52E2\AC@5F4ED^72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4D^52E2\7:=6D\FD\2?5\DE2E6\=6G6=\72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4DQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC6A@CEk^2mk^DEC@?8m[ H9:=6 E@E2= AC@5F4E:@? 4@DED 2C6 AC@;64E65 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6CD]FD52]8@G^52E2\AC@5F4ED^72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4D^52E2\7:=6D\FD\2?5\DE2E6\=6G6=\72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4DQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE@ E@A Scfg 3:==:@?k^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
kAm%96 24EF2= ?F>36CD H:== =:<6=J 36 9:896C[ 2D E96 &$sp C6=62D65 :ED 2?2=JD:D 367@C6 E96 xC2? 4@?7=:4E 3682?]k^Am
kAm&]$] 5@>6DE:4 A@=:4J @G6C E96 A2DE 76H 564256D 92D 2=D@ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E96 28C:4F=EFC2= D64E@C’D 7:?2?4:2= H@6D]k^Am
kAmsF6 E@ E96 DECF4EFC6 @7 7656C2= DF3D:5:6D 7@C 4C@A :?DFC2?46[ >@DE :?DFC2?46 AC@G:56CD 2C6 :?46?E:G:K65 E@ 42E6C E@ =2C86 28C:3FD:?6DD6D[ C2E96C E92? D>2== 2?5 368:??6C 72C>D]k^Am
kAmp kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^72C>24E:@?]FD^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ac^_h^z:?8D\~G6C\E96\}646DD2C:6D\@7\{:76\|@?@A@=:K2E:@?\2?5\E96\t=:>:?2E:@?\@7\r@>A6E:E:@?\:?\p>6C:42D\p8C:4F=EFC6\$JDE6>0u2C>\p4E:@?]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qma_g\A286 C6A@CEk^2mk^DEC@?8m 4@>>:DD:@?65 3J u2C> p4E:@? :? a_ac C6G62=65 E92E[ 36EH66? a_`a 2?5 a_`h[ E96 =2C86DE `_T @7 &]$] 72C>D 3J 4C@A D2=6D C646:G65 deT @7 2== 4C@A :?DFC2?46 AC6>:F> DF3D:5:6D]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ E96 3@EE@> d_T @7 &]$] 72C>6CD C646:G65 =6DD E92? bT @7 2== 4C@A :?DFC2?46 AC6>:F> DF3D:5:6D 5FC:?8 E92E D2>6 A6C:@5]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 4@?46?EC2E:@? :D ?@E 2EEC:3FE23=6 E@ =2C86 72C>D D:>A=J :?DFC:?8 >@C6 24C6D[” E96 C6A@CE ?@E6D] “~G6C E96 D2>6 A6C:@5[ E96 2G6C286 2>@F?E @7 AC6>:F> DF3D:5:6D A6C 24C6 C646:G65 3J 72C> @A6C2E:@?D :? E96 E@A aT 3J 4C@A D2=6D WSc_]dcX H2D 2=>@DE 5@F3=6 E96 36?67:E C646:G65 3J 72C>D 36EH66? E96 d_E9 2?5 g_E9 A6C46?E:=6 2?5 @G6C 6:89E E:>6D E96 36?67:E C646:G65 3J 72C>D :? E96 3@EE@> d_T]”k^Am
kAmr@?8C6DD 92D <6AE 7656C2= 4C@A :?DFC2?46 A@=:4J >@DE=J @? 2FE@A:=@E D:?46 a_`g[ E96 =2DE E:>6 :E A2DD65 2 7656C2= 72C> 3:==]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 DFAA@CE:G6 @7 D@>6 >62DFC6D[ 25G@424J 8C@FAD 7@C D>2== 2?5 72>:=J\@H?65 72C>D 92G6 4C:E:4:K65 E96 FA4@>:?8 72C> 3:==[ H9:49 C646?E=J kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=602364h2ca\47f_\ce4b\27f7\64a6dd327f_`]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmA2DD65 E96 &]$] w@FD6k^2mk^DEC@?8m[ 7@C ?@E :?4=F5:?8 256BF2E6 DFAA@CE @C C67@C>D]k^Am
kAm“x?DE625 @7 C632=2?4:?8 E96 CF=6D :? 72G@C @7 :?56A6?56?E 72C>6CD 2?5 CFC2= 4@>>F?:E:6D[ E9:D 3:== =2C86=J AC6D6CG6D 2 DE2EFD BF@ E92E 36?67:ED E96 =2C86DE 4@CA@C2E:@?D[” u2C> p4E:@?’D #6D62C49 2?5 !@=:4J s:C64E@C $2C29 r2C56? D2:5]k^Am