Earlier this week, the Trump Administration announced the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which will offer $12 billion in economic aid to farmers impacted by low commodity prices, high input costs, and challenges to market access. While many farmers are appreciative of the one-time payment, they still need to see a significant long-term solution. Ryan Mulholland, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said the program does not address the long-term damage that has been inflicted on the U.S. ag industry.
During the first Trump administration, U.S. pork producers lost significant market access to China, and that loss has not been fully recuperated. Mulholland said similar damage is occurring in this current trade war.
In his conversations with U.S. farmers, Mulholland said they need consistent support from the administration, and they don’t want to be used as collateral in a trade war.
For more information, visit americanprogress.org.
