Farmers Want Trade, Not Aid

The promise of bailouts to farmers is not being well received

I was recently speaking in Nashville on global trade wars, tariffs and the impact/opportunities for American businesses when a friend came up afterwards and told me about the impact on farmers in America.

On stage in Nashville. Photo Credit to the West Point AOG

The size of the losses were staggering and I encourage you to keep an eye on our farmers. Unless you live in farming regions on the country you may not be following this story so I wanted to make sure it was on your radar.

There’s an old saying you’ll still hear in farm country: “Farmers want trade, not aid.”

That message is ringing louder than ever as tariffs and trade wars disrupt the global market — and once again, it’s American farmers caught in the middle.

Last year, China bought more than half of America’s soybean exports. This year, that number has dropped to zero. Zero. Prices have fallen so low that most farmers haven’t even sold their harvest — they’re storing beans in silos, hoping the market will rebound. Every acre they harvest right now represents about a $100 loss, and that kind of math doesn’t work for long.

The result is a cascade that stretches far beyond the fields. When farmers lose money, rural banks, equipment dealers, feed stores, and schools all feel the impact. Whole communities tighten their belts. Families delay buying new tractors or bringing the next generation into the business. The pain ripples outward.

Washington’s answer has been to float another bailout — this one potentially worth $10 to $14 billion. And while that may provide short-term relief, history tells us the aid often misses its target. The last time a farm bailout rolled out, some of the biggest multinational corporations received the largest payments while smaller and family-owned operations — the ones most in need — saw little to none.

That’s not sustainable. And it’s not what farmers are asking for. They don’t want handouts. They want fair, stable markets and predictable trade relationships that let them compete globally and pass their farms down to the next generation.

As one farmer put it to me recently, “We build relationships in good faith. When those trade ties are broken, it can take years — sometimes decades — to rebuild them.”

That’s the real danger: the long-term damage to trust and trade. Buyers around the world have already shifted to suppliers in other countries, and many may never come back.

So what’s the path forward? It starts with clarity, transparency, and better tools — not just for policymakers, but for the farmers themselves.

Here’s the reworked ending — more in your USTomorrow tone: conversational, thoughtful, and focused on crediting your friend Ajit and the broader innovation story rather than promoting a product.

That’s why I appreciated my friend Ajit Purandare bringing this story to my attention. He’s one of several entrepreneurs trying to apply business principles and new technology to help small and medium-sized farming families make more informed financial decisions.

His company, Croptell, is building tools that simplify the complex economics of farming — giving producers clearer insight into costs, income forecasts, and loan readiness. It’s not a government program or another bailout; it’s a data-driven approach to long-term sustainability.

In a world where global trade can turn on a tweet or tariff, that kind of innovation isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. By combining practical technology with the hard-earned wisdom of America’s farmers, we can give rural communities the tools to adapt, compete, and thrive for generations to come.

If you’d like to learn more about Ajit’s work, you can reach him at ajitpurandare@croptell.com or connect on LinkedIn.

Because the future of American farming won’t be decided by subsidies — it’ll be built through smarter systems, stronger trade, and a renewed commitment to fairness.

Let me know what you are seeing.

Below are several news stories from local towns that give real insight into what is happening.

Take care,

Joseph

Joseph Kopser

Co-Founder of USTomorrow

---

Here are videos people (different states in the breadbasket) can watch to get a rapid understanding of the situation.

Nebraska, Iowa Farmers React to Possible Bailout | KETV NewsWatch 7 5 Oct 25

China tariffs leave soybean farmers struggling (26K Farmers)| WCCO - CBS Minnesota 29 Sep 25

Wisconsin farmers growing concerned about tariff-related losses | WLUK-TV FOX 11 30 Sep 25

Tariffs impacting Indiana soybean farmers | FOX59 IN 18 Sep 25:

Hundreds of struggling Arkansas farmers ask federal government to save them | KATV Arkansas 2 Sep 25:

Since Aug. 1 tariffs, ND farmers struggle to sell soybeans | KFYR ND 29 Aug 25:

Tennessee farmers facing economic crisis | WKRN New 2 TN 30 Sep 25

Soybean farmer (IL) who backed Trump feels strain of China’s boycott: “Our clock is tick-tocking” | CBS News 7 Oct 25