With possible stronger reciprocal tariffs coming, small farmers can’t take much more, ag groups warn

A major trade deadline is growing on the horizon. In a little more than two weeks, stronger reciprocal tariffs could be a reality. However, one trade group says farmers cannot take much more, saying the ag industry is getting squeezed in more ways than one right now.

“One, we’re trying to sell our products overseas, and that’s made harder by a trade war. Two, we’re relying on inputs, whether that’s farm chemicals or fertilizer or the steel that goes into tractors. All of that gets more expensive, so farmers get squeezed on both ends, and that’s where you see bankruptcies, people getting out of farming, suicides, these are all bad things that happen when farmers get squeezed,” said Brian Kuehl with Farmers For Free Trade.

Farmers For Free Trade suggests reaching out to your elected officials to let them know what is happening on the farm.

Related Stories
NMPF’s Alan Bjerga discusses pending trade agreements with Indonesia and Ecuador and how they will benefit U.S. dairy producers and improve overall global competitiveness of U.S. ag products.
Debt pressures could reshape farm policy and credit.
India trade tensions may affect the U.S. export outlook.
Tariff revenues rarely flow directly back to farmers.
Weak crop margins and tariff uncertainty are delaying machinery purchases and signaling slower capital investment across U.S. agriculture.
Jeramy Stephens with National Land Realty explains how the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling and ongoing ‘America First’ trade policy raise new questions about U.S. farmland values and agricultural market stability.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Dr. Jeffrey Gold, President of the University of Nebraska, joined RFD-TV to discuss how seasonal stress and mental health concerns can make it more challenging to get a restful night’s sleep
Dr. Ashley Johnson, with the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), joins us to share the sector’s perspective on new FDA initiatives targeting ultra-processed foods.
Among many longstanding traditions at the FFA Convention & Expo is the National FFA Band.
Pork producers are making Veterans Day a little brighter for Iowa’s military families.
While there has been an increase in outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) this migration season, the CDC says the public health risk is low.
Cattle markets are collapsing this week, and analysts say that several factors are at play. Consumer beef prices also remain near all-time highs, threatening long-term demand.