Our country depends on our farmers to grow food. In the past month, our federal government has sown fear, uncertainty and doubt in the agricultural industry by making us an unreliable partner around the world. Specifically, this administration has:
- Placed tariffs on other countries, who retaliate by not importing food from America (goodbye to $7.5 billion in exported food grown in Washington).
- Placed tariffs on countries, who retaliate against us by not exporting fertilizer to America (no more potash from Canada or nitrogen from China).
- Canceled USDA funding for farm improvements already put in place by farmers who were promised reimbursement. (So long to $20 billion for agriculture-related conservation programs and $3 billion for “climate-smart” farm projects).
- Dismantled USAID, leaving food rotting in ports and eliminating a $2 billion market for U.S. farmers.
- Deported field workers who harvest our crops, and intimidated legal workers who are afraid to be swept up in ICE raids, leaving fewer workers to pick our crops.
We all better be prepared to pay more in grocery stores. Woe to those who are already cash strapped; food stamps are on the chopping block, too.
