The Trump administration has many farmers struggling as they deal with a poor economy and executive orders from the president that freeze needed federal funding, States Newsroom reported Monday. Some of those farmers voted for Trump.
“Even though the administration said it would not stop payments to individuals and courts have ordered the administration to resume the programs, many farmers are awaiting payments on their contracts and have not been told when or if they can expect to receive expected funding. Billions of dollars are at stake,” reporter Allison Winter writes.
For example, Trump voter Skylar Holden had been promised money from the Department of Agriculture to use on his cattle farm in Missouri. But he learned in January that the payments had been frozen.
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“I instantly asked … what does that mean for all this money that I just spent, that I’m relying on these funds to come through?” Holden said in a TikTok live on Feb. 13.
He was unsure if he would ever receive the funds. “I guess I have maybe a little bit of hope I will see the funding, but I am not too confident,” Holden said.
“Representatives from farm advocacy groups and cooperatives say they are hearing similar stories from their members, but most are unwilling to speak publicly for fear of retribution. Many large farm organizations backed Trump’s successful presidential campaign,” Winter writes.
Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, said farmers are left in limbo.
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“We continue to hear from family farmers and ranchers about the federal funding freeze, which has created significant uncertainty,” he said. “The interruption in funding raises concerns about whether USDA will disburse already obligated funds to farmers who have existing agreements with the department.”
“The lack of clarity is leaving state and local agencies and partner organizations struggling to interpret and implement federal programs, while farmers are left wondering if they can rely on these programs as they make critical business decisions for the year ahead,” Larew added.
Farmers are also concerned about a freeze on USAID programs. American farmers supply much of the food that gets distributed through the agency’s international aid programs.
The Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois announced that it will close because of the pause in USAID programs. Professor Peter Goldsmith, the lab’s director, was at a loss.
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“Where does the money come from to pay salaries, to pay people, to water the plants, I mean everything?” Goldsmith told . “We’ve run a very tight budget, but I never put into the scenario an act of God like this.”
