Trump cut funding for farmers — then unlocked billions for them before Election Day
Whether it’s enough to smooth over tensions with that constituency remains to be seen.
The last two years have been challenging for U.S. farmers and ranchers, with several Department of Agriculture programs being rolled back and causing funding cuts. This has left producers in uncertainty. Last year, farm groups sued the federal agency after it deleted webpages containing climate change information. In October, the USDA announced $8 billion in funding to assist farmers with losses due to high diesel prices, which has exacerbated their financial strain as much of their equipment relies on this fuel source.
However, the same program makes it harder for farmers to adopt more efficient energy sources like solar and wind. On the same day, the USDA announced an additional $57 million for ranchers to expand their meat-processing capacity. Despite these measures, there is concern that these bailout programs do not provide a long-term vision for the future of U.S. agriculture.
The last farm bill was passed in 2018, and competing versions are currently in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
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