Caleb Ragland, a Kentucky soybean farmer and proud Trump voter, is sounding the alarm: the ongoing U.S.-China trade war could cost American farmers their livelihoods. As president of the American Soybean Association, Ragland penned an emotional plea in The Free Press, stating, "We’re gambling with American livelihoods… Please make a deal with China now." 🌾💔
With 500,000 U.S. soybean farmers at risk, Ragland’s family farm—and three employees’ incomes—hang in the balance. 📉 The bigger worry? China’s pivot to Brazilian suppliers, with Bloomberg reporting 40 Brazilian soybean cargoes snapped up this week alone. "If this lasts long term, we’re going to have a significant number of farmers going under," Ragland told the New York Times.
The stakes are high: Soybeans are America’s top agricultural export to China, and red-state voters—Trump’s base—are bearing the brunt. 🌍\u200d🌾 Corn growers are sweating too. "Our farmers want certainty," said Kenneth Hartman Jr. of the National Corn Growers Association, fearing lost markets as tariffs hit 145%.
Will the White House’s tariff "pause" bring relief? Farmers aren’t holding their breath. As one tweeted this week: "Trade wars aren’t ‘easy to win’ when our tractors are parked." 🚜💨
