Kentucky soybean farmer Caleb Ragland, a supporter of President Donald Trump, cautioned during an interview with NewsNation on Friday that thousands of farms across America could go under if the president’s ongoing trade war continues.
Ragland, who has faced major financial losses this year, said the impact has been devastating — especially since China has long been the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans. But the tariffs have brought exports to a halt.
“It’s tough when you lose 25% of your market suddenly. And that’s the reality of the trade board and the retaliatory tariffs that have came from China against our soybeans. Soybeans are America’s largest agriculture export. We do a great job producing them and the world uses a lot of soy. China is the largest user. They use 61% of all soy consumed around the world. And here in this marketing year, the soybeans are being harvested. We have not sold a single bean to China, and normally they would be purchasing robustly right now, right in the middle of our harvest season,” Ragland explained.
While praising some of President Trump’s policies, Ragland stressed that there must be balance when it comes to trade to protect American farmers.
“President Trump’s done some good things with some tax policy, with regulatory policy on some issues. He’s also doing some things for biofuels to make them be. Used more here in this country and that’s a good thing for us long term. But we also need trade as well. It’s a balance and we need to get this figured out,” he said.
Ragland criticized the administration’s $20 billion bailout directed toward Argentina and the idea of the U.S. purchasing beef from the country. He warned that if the tariffs continue, the nation could see a devastating rise in bankruptcies — and even suicides — among farmers.
“I think we’re at a crossroads that if we don’t get some things moving soon and get some serious trade taking place, we’re going to need a financial bridge or the reality will be the increases in bankruptcies, the loss of many thousands of family farms. It will even be worse with people committing suicide, choosing to end it all. And it’s terrible, the things that will result. We are on the verge of a farm crisis due to the rising cost of our production and the declining cost for our products, including our soybeans. And we got to find a new balance,” he said.
Ragland’s warning highlights growing concern among farmers nationwide as trade tensions with China persist, leaving many agricultural producers uncertain about the future of their livelihoods.
