Farmers Will Pay For Tariffs: U.S. barley industry braces trade war ripple effects

U.S. barley farmers fear tariffs could take away key export markets. The industry has already been facing tight margins.

Beer drinking levels in the U.S. are at the lowest in 40 years. Barley farmer and Vice President of the Montana Grain Growers Association, Steve Sheffels says that farmers will ultimately pay for tariffs.

He says that the U.S. grows way more barley than can be consumed domestically and if key markets like Canada and Mexico disappear, farmers will be competing for a much more limited number of buyers.

Related Stories
Only 6% of surveyed farmers cited AI as a trusted decision source, compared with 56% for technical agronomists.
Strong export demand is expected to keep grain moving by rail despite a smaller corn crop.
The Agricultural Act of 2026 heads toward Senate floor consideration after advancing from committee.
The census will collect population data on 15 breeds currently on the Conservation Priority List.
Fred Nichols at Huma says growers should evaluate yield records, nutrient needs, fertilizer prices, soil health, and timing to determine the fall fertility strategy that best fits their operation.
Think applying an insecticide to your soybean field automatically pays for itself? You would be mistaken. University of Illinois Extension field crops entomologist Nick Seiter says it does not.