The tariffs imposed by President Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers (IEEP) Act caused significant disruptions in the Kansas farming market before they were ruled illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court.
According to Nick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, soybean and grain sorghum farmers were hit hardest, with their value lowering as buyers turned to other nations for imports.
In addition to receiving lower returns, farmers also faced rising costs for equipment due to tariffs on aluminum and steel from Canada and Mexico. These unexpected expenses forced many farmers to take on more debt or risk losing their farms. Last year, 700 farms in Kansas closed according to a USDA study.
Farming is an inherently unpredictable profession, Levendofsky said, where returns are heavily influenced by factors beyond a farmer’s control. This uncertainty can weigh heavily on farmers, who may be reluctant to express the emotional toll.
“Farmers tend to be pretty resilient in a lot of cases. But eventually something's going to break,” Levendofsky told KCUR’s Up to Date. “They are good at checking on their crops. They're good at checking on their livestock. But they need to be better about checking in on each other.”
Levendofsky is hoping a current farm bill will repair some of the instability in the farming industry, but is not hopeful it will make it out of the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Nick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmer’s Union
