Farmer who supported Trump pleads for cessation of trade war
Caleb Ragland, a Kentucky farmer and president of the American Soybean Association, urged U.S. President Donald Trump to conclude the trade war in an article published on Wednesday in The Free Press, as reported by Newsweek. "I am one of the...
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Caleb Ragland, a Kentucky farmer and president of the American Soybean Association, urged U.S. President Donald Trump to conclude the trade war in an article published on Wednesday in The Free Press, as reported by Newsweek.
"I am one of the 500,000 soybean farmers in America who feels the pain. I rely on my own farm for 100 percent of the income for my family and the families of our three full-time workers," he stated.
Ragland characterized the trade conflict as a "gamble with American livelihoods, especially for farmers" and implored Trump to "please make a deal with China now" to bring it to an end.
He cautioned that "the longer the stalemate continues, the likelier China is to take its business elsewhere, like Brazil."
On the same day, "Trump ratcheted up U.S. tariffs on China as he initiated a pause on 'reciprocal' tariffs that he had imposed on other countries. The reprieve offers little relief for farmers who are concerned that a protracted trade war with China will cut off ties with their largest export market," reported the New York Times on Thursday.
The publication also noted, "The loss of China as an export market will deal a particularly hard economic blow to agricultural workers in many red states, hitting many of the voters who helped Mr. Trump win the presidential election," adding that soybean producers warn that "farms could go under as the Trump administration hits China with new tariffs of 145 percent."
"If this lasts long term, we're going to have a significant number of farmers going out of business," Ragland remarked to the New York Times, adding, "We still bear scars from the last trade war."
Kenneth Hartman Jr., president of the National Corn Growers Association, expressed concern: "The longer that uncertainty exists, the more concerned we become that our growers could harvest billions of bushels of corn for which they will not have reliable markets. Our farmers want certainty that our customers at home and abroad will buy our products in the months and years ahead."
According to Bloomberg's report on Thursday, "Chinese soybean crushers scooped up an unusually large amount of Brazilian beans this week as the escalating trade war makes purchases of U.S. crops unviable. Importers bought at least 40 cargoes from Brazil in the first half of this week."
Bloomberg further indicated, "The shipments are mostly for delivery in May, June and July, and are equivalent to at least 2.4 million tonnes, almost one-third of the average volume China typically crushes in a month."
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
"I am one of the 500,000 soybean farmers in America who feels the pain. I rely on my own farm for 100 percent of the income for my family and the families of our three full-time workers," he stated.
Ragland characterized the trade conflict as a "gamble with American livelihoods, especially for farmers" and implored Trump to "please make a deal with China now" to bring it to an end.
He cautioned that "the longer the stalemate continues, the likelier China is to take its business elsewhere, like Brazil."
On the same day, "Trump ratcheted up U.S. tariffs on China as he initiated a pause on 'reciprocal' tariffs that he had imposed on other countries. The reprieve offers little relief for farmers who are concerned that a protracted trade war with China will cut off ties with their largest export market," reported the New York Times on Thursday.
The publication also noted, "The loss of China as an export market will deal a particularly hard economic blow to agricultural workers in many red states, hitting many of the voters who helped Mr. Trump win the presidential election," adding that soybean producers warn that "farms could go under as the Trump administration hits China with new tariffs of 145 percent."
"If this lasts long term, we're going to have a significant number of farmers going out of business," Ragland remarked to the New York Times, adding, "We still bear scars from the last trade war."
Kenneth Hartman Jr., president of the National Corn Growers Association, expressed concern: "The longer that uncertainty exists, the more concerned we become that our growers could harvest billions of bushels of corn for which they will not have reliable markets. Our farmers want certainty that our customers at home and abroad will buy our products in the months and years ahead."
According to Bloomberg's report on Thursday, "Chinese soybean crushers scooped up an unusually large amount of Brazilian beans this week as the escalating trade war makes purchases of U.S. crops unviable. Importers bought at least 40 cargoes from Brazil in the first half of this week."
Bloomberg further indicated, "The shipments are mostly for delivery in May, June and July, and are equivalent to at least 2.4 million tonnes, almost one-third of the average volume China typically crushes in a month."
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
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