'Didn't expect to be this severe': North Carolina farmers reeling under Trump policies

Farmers who rely on payments from the federal government to remain afloat are treading water just to survive now that the Trump administration has frozen federal funding.

Reporter Ben Rappaport wrote in The Assembly that farmers in North Carolina, who are still recovering from flooding and drought, "haven’t received expected payments linked to conservation loan programs, projects aimed at combating climate change, and emergency loans for farmers in disaster areas."

The Trump administration was "also reviewing the Inflation Reduction Act, a 2022 federal spending package that includes programs for farmers of color, first-time farmers, and farmers in poverty," the report said.

Rappaport quoted farmer Ethan Jordan, who was awaiting about $77,000 from the USDA to make up for the 900 acres of corn, 350 acres of peanuts, and 350 acres of soybean crops he lost to the drought last year.

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“Coming out of a year like we just did, cash is already short," Jordan said. "I really would’ve liked to have had that money a month or so ago.”

Under many of the contracts farmers have with the government, "farmers pay out of pocket for equipment and supplies and get reimbursed by the USDA. Without cash flow out of Washington, those farmers could be strapped with debt," or worse.

“The western part of the state lost their homes to a flood,” Jordan said. “In the eastern side, if we don’t get some help, we’re going to lose our house to the bank.”

Jordan added, “We knew the administration changes would shake things up. But we didn’t expect it to be this severe.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told The Assembly in late February that $20 million in payments was released, "but hundreds of millions in other payments remain frozen." The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment for the report.

During his first administration, Trump paid out billions of dollars to help farmers make up for income lost from trade war with China. This trade war, on multiple fronts, has the potential to cost farmers and the federal government exponentially more.

Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this month, "To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!"

Read The Assembly article here.