A farmer from eastern Iowa says President Trump’s farmer assistance package should help many producers in the short-term.
But, Lance Lillibridge says the aid isn’t a long-term solution for the economic issues impacting agriculture.
“I appreciate the administration acknowledging there is a financial problem in agriculture right at the moment,” he said. “But really we’ve got to have a long-term fix to this.”
He suggests it starts by addressing antitrust issues.
“Right now, we just have way too much lack of competition in our inputs. We’ve got a boot on our neck,” Lillibridge said. “It’s getting to be problematic. Unfortunately, that payment that will come to farmers will go right through our hand and right into the hand of others.”
Lillibridge tells Brownfield, “In some cases maybe that’s good if it’s in the local economy, but when it goes right out into billion-dollar corporations for fertilizer, seed, chemicals and that kind of thing, it’s troubling.”
He says the farmer aid payments could impact consumers.
“The tax money that’s going to be used, whether it’s tariff money or tax money, it’s all coming back to the consumer in some way shape or form.”
On Monday, the Trump administration said the $12 billion aid package includes $11 billion for row crops with the remaining billion being held in reserve.
