Across the Midwest, combines sit idle and bins overflow with unsold grain. Corn prices are down nearly 50% since 2022. Soybeans have dropped 40%. Fertilizer and equipment costs are up double digits. And 8 in 10 farmers now say they believe the U.S. is on the brink of another farm crisis reminiscent of the 1980s. They’ve even given it a name: Farmageddon.
This time, the crisis isn’t a result of macroeconomic conditions — it’s a direct result of decisions made by the White House. President Donald Trump’s reckless tariff war is crushing America’s farmers.
And while U.S. farmers struggle to move their grain, the administration just finalized a bailout for Argentina — a country that turned around and cut a deal with China to buy its soybeans instead of ours. Think about that: Washington is bailing out a competitor to our farmers on the brink of crisis.
Unfortunately, we saw this same movie during Trump’s last trade war. Farm bankruptcies soared to record highs, and Brazil walked away with our export markets. Now Argentina is lining up to do the same. And everyone knows that once you lose market share, you rarely get it back.
And the White House is only making it harder. Despite total control of Washington, the president’s party has shut down the government rather than extend enhanced premium tax credits that keep healthcare affordable. Finding affordable healthcare as a farmer is difficult enough as it stands. But now, premiums are set to skyrocket. In fact, in rural countries, they are set to increase an average of 107%, a larger increase than in our cities.
Moreover, when USDA shuts down, farmers get shut out. That means delays to critical farm loans, conservation payments and disaster relief. For farmers, it’s a double whammy: no markets, no safety net, and now, no one to pick up the phone.
What is the solution? Well, the president is floating a $14 billion bailout for farmers — a temporary fix for a self-inflicted wound. We saw how this went in the first trade war, when payments were mismanaged and failed to help the farmers who were the hardest hit.
MORE:
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/farmageddon-trumps-trade-war-shutdown-crushing-heartland
Angus: I was just in Western Canada, where our farmers are having a great year—because we’re exporting into what used to be American markets. Your former allies are walking away, leaving your farmers—who voted for you—in what they’re calling Farmageddon.
We’re now talking with… pic.twitter.com/1syCI7gC41
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 27, 2025