Ohio farmers could feel the impact of proposed USAID cuts.
Over 1 million tons of U.S. farm products are purchased annually through USAID programs to provide food aid internationally.
“Talking about U.S. grown wheat, soybeans, rice, other major commodities for those assistance programs,” according to Ty Higgins, Ohio Farm Bureau spokesman.
Those producers often depend on USAID food programs as part of their revenue. Higgins said cutting USAID programs combined with other existing stressors in agriculture can have an impact on Ohio farmers’ supply and demand.
“50% of soybeans grown in Ohio are exported,” he said. “So when you don’t have those avenues of customers around the globe, and you have to keep those commodities in-house and you don’t have enough uses for them, that supply and demand table gets out of whack and the price of corn and soybeans go down.”
Higgins said while he understands the need for reducing wasteful spending, he still has some concerns for farmers involved in USAID programs.
“Several important international food programs are at risk when you talk about USAID,” he said. “From a selfish standpoint, these are commodities that farmers sell, farmers make income, and then the government buys those commodities and helps those less fortunate around the globe.”
Farmers could also be impacted by tariffs with other countries including Canada and Mexico.
“We’re talking a lot about trade right now and it has the attention of agriculture when we talk about our three largest trading partners and tariffs and retaliations,” Higgins said. “But this is just another avenue that farmers use to sell commodities through USAID. And so when you’re cutting off yet another way to sell products, it could certainly impact the bottom line of farmers here in Ohio and really across the country.”
With the ongoing resilient nature of farmers in Ohio, Higgins said he expects producers in the state to continue to push forward and work with what they have.
“They might see some things that impact them directly on the farm, but they’re going to continue to plan for the spring planting season with excitement,” he said. “We didn’t have the best of harvest seasons last year, but farmers are going to to reload and do it again this year because that’s what they know to do and what they love to do.”
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