Farmers are reporting record yields for crops this fall but it's unclear who will buy them.
The ongoing trade war between China and the U.S. is testing farmers' faith in the Trump administration, Politico reports.
“When our members are in the fields harvesting, they will be staring at a visual representation of this economy and this looming farm crisis. They will be looking at literal piles of corn and other row crops,” said Lesly Weber McNitt, vice president of public policy at the National Corn Growers Association, in an interview with Politico. “They don’t know where it’s going.”
And with no soybean orders coming from China since May, "crop farmers have lost a significant export market, driving down the price of top U.S. crops like soybeans and corn, even as Trump’s tariffs drive up the cost of farm equipment and fertilizer." The American Soybean Association is now shifting its purchases to Brazil and other countries. In comparison, China purchased $12.64 billion in soybeans from American farmers in 2024.
Republican lawmakers and farmers warn that this could be a looming crisis for America's agriculture industry — crops could pile up and farmers could end up in the red.
But farmers are still not blaming Trump and his trade policies yet, "a sign of just how much grace the agriculture community continues to grant Trump, even as his ambitious efforts to restructure the global trade economy clash directly with their economic interests," Politico reports.
However, that patience and loyalty could wane.
President Donald Trump won farmers' support in the 2024 election, promising to improve wages and lower inflation. As the administration struggles to pursue trade negotiations, slapping tariffs and Wednesday urging the EU to slap 100% tariffs on China and India, Reuters reports.
Companies like John Deere — an agricultural industry supplier for farmers — report significant losses due to the higher tariffs, mostly on steel but also on aluminum, are impacting its profits. The company has lost $300 million so far and nearly another $300 million loss is expected by the end of 2025. The company laid off 238 employees in Illinois and Iowa factories over the summer.
As farmers see a lowering demand for some crops overseas, the company cites a 15 to 20 percent drop in large agricultural machinery purchases, the New York Times reports. That downward trend is expected to carry into 2026.