Willis Nelson, a third-generation farmer in eastern Louisiana, was hoping to avoid the worst.<\/p>\n
The 38-year-old farms 4,000 acres in Sondheimer with his brothers and father. They grow row crops such as corn, cotton, and soybean, which are the leading U.S. agricultural exports<\/a> that are sold to a global market.\u00a0<\/p>\n This year, they opted out of planting soybeans and instead focused on the others, and adding a new crop, rice, in the rotation. The past three years have been difficult to farm for the Nelsons, particularly because of extreme weather changes. They hoped the versatility would help make a profit.<\/p>\n But, it didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the harvest season at its end, Nelson said they haven\u2019t gotten rid of any rice. Now he\u2019s hoping to sell it by December or January at a lower price. He\u2019s heard that other farmers are storing their unsold crops for the future.<\/p>\n The Nelson family sold their other crops to a local agricultural trading company who then sells it to other countries. But those crops didn\u2019t sell for the normal market price because of the tariffs \u2014 which are government taxes on imported goods. For example, the Nelsons would have to receive at least $5.25 for a bushel of corn to make a profit, but sold it for $3.45. On top of that, expenses \u2014 such as fertilizer \u2014 are higher than normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCommodities [are] already low, then with the tariffs, it\u2019s just like putting a nail in the coffin on it,\u201d he told Capital B. \u201cWe planted rice this year for the first time because we thought rice was gonna be a moneymaker. Turn out, all commodity prices [are] in the dump.\u201d<\/p>\n The Nelsons\u2019 struggle resembles thousands of farmers across the nation suffering from the trade war between the U.S. and China, the world\u2019s largest soybean importer. China hasn\u2019t bought the crop from America since May. Earlier in the year, Trump imposed<\/a> an additional 25% tariff on most countries, with more significant increases targeting China, escalating tensions between the two countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although the focus is mostly on soybeans, the repercussions of this conflict extend beyond that, affecting farmers like the Nelsons who grow a wide variety of other crops. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese leaders in Malaysia on Oct. 26 and said the additional 100% tariffs on China are \u201ceffectively off the table.\u201d He told CBS\u2019s Face the Nation that the global soybean market has been brought \u201cback into equilibrium.\u201d On Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear<\/a> oral arguments in a case over Trump\u2019s power to impose sweeping tariffs.<\/p>\n Soon there may be some relief for farmers as the USDA plans to release $3 billion from existing programs. This effort is separate from the potential multimillion-dollar bail-out program<\/a> for producers impacted by the tariffs.<\/p>\n Despite the federal government shutdown entering its fifth week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will resume some operations<\/a> by opening thousands of Farm Service Agency county offices across the country, a department spokesperson confirmed in an email to Capital B. The offices will be staffed with two employees for five days a week. The workers will receive pay, according to the USDA.<\/p>\n \u201cSecretary Rollins is reopening county FSA offices, so farmers once again have access to core USDA services like farm loan processing and disaster relief payments,\u201d the statement said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Farmers call on Trump for aid<\/p>\n During Trump\u2019s first term, farmers were hit hard by retaliatory tariffs, losing more than $27 billion<\/a> in agricultural exports, according to the USDA. The top commodities that experienced the largest losses were cotton, pork, sorghum, and soybeans. Soybeans accounted for 71% of the total loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the time, the Trump administration created a subsidy program called the Market Reconciliation Program to offset the losses, which provided $12 billion in aid. However, more than 99% of the funds went to wealthy white farmers<\/a>, specifically men.<\/p>\n This time around, Trump is developing a plan to issue $10 billion in aid for farmers<\/a>. That hasn\u2019t materialized yet; however, he\u2019s already authorized $20 billion to improve Argentina\u2019s struggling economy \u2014 and he\u2019s looking to double the assistance<\/a>. Trump is also importing more beef from Argentina to lower prices, a move that U.S. cattle farming groups have criticized<\/a>.<\/p>\n There aren\u2019t many options for U.S. producers, except to wait for a federal aid package, Nelson said. He has applied for grants and received funding to help cover the costs of conducting regenerative agriculture, which aims to improve the health of land. Many other grants are tied to research, he said. However, he is optimistic about the possibility of an aid package.<\/p>\n Another beacon of hope: his father.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m blessed to still have my daddy around to tell us it\u2019s gonna turn around,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nelson said another thing helping him through this time is seeing that other farmers are experiencing the same hardships because it helps him know he\u2019s not alone. In the meantime, he\u2019s waiting for market projections from institutions such as Louisiana State University to plan for next year. And he\u2019s bracing for uncertainty.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can\u2019t let all of us drown,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019m optimistic that it\u2019s gonna turn around.\u201d<\/p>\n