Tariffs and Iran war push farmers toward deeper crisis
By Jarrell Dillard, The Washington Post
American farmers say weak crop prices combined with rising costs for fertilizer, fuel and machinery are pushing agriculture toward another financial crisis, according to The Washington Post.
The Trump administration’s war with Iran has increased energy and fertilizer costs, while a new 50% tariff on Canadian imports could make fertilizer and farm equipment still more expensive. Farmers interviewed by the newspaper reported declines of as much as 40% to 50% in their bottom lines.
Congress is considering $12 billion in emergency farm aid, but lawmakers have tied it to additional funding for the Iran war — the same conflict contributing to farmers’ rising expenses — as well as changes to voting rules. The package has stalled amid Republican opposition.
Farm groups say emergency payments are necessary but would provide only temporary relief. The nearly eight-year-old farm bill expires again at the end of September, and Congress remains divided over a replacement as farmers face production costs that increasingly exceed what their crops earn.
