Transition for Farmers with USDA Changes and Tariffs
- Dave Price
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Farmers have much to watch as they wait to find out what changes at the federal level are permanent and which ones will be temporary as the Trump administration decides whether to continue them. Farm incomes, land values, local opportunities, and export partners all hinge on the impact – and success or failure – of numerous decisions.
Changes at the USDA have cut or at least frozen some funding that helped farmers provide locally produced meat, fruits, and vegetables to schools, childcare centers, and food pantries.
Caruso Farm in western Washington sends 25% of its produce to local food pantries. Or at least it did. “It no longer effectuates the needs of the agency,” a USDA spokesperson told KING-TV in Seattle about the elimination of funding that previously went to the farm. The funding had been part of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program.
Some of the impacted USDA programs had been enhanced or created during the Biden administration to expand supply chains, provide locally sourced healthy foods to families, and to assist small farmers. But those are coming to an end under D.O.G.E. unless Congress works to reinstate them.
American Producers Losing Beef and Pork Exports Due to Higher Tariffs
American beef producers are now losing out in some Chinese restaurants because of the Trump tariffs. Reuters reported that Australian beef is replacing the imports from the United States. And pork ribs, an export from the hog heavy U.S. Midwest, are now off some Chinese dinner plates. Canadian pork is on the menu instead.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said that Americans should not be surprised that President Donald Trump is pursuing tariffs. But Naig hopes that the higher tariffs are only temporary and prove to be a “shock” to the system that leads to better export opportunities for American producers. But he cautions that he hopes that the tariffs can be short-term.
The risk is that if tariffs become a longer-term policy of the administration, they can punish American farmers by reducing export partners, oversaturate the U.S. markets and further depress incomes.
