DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa farmers are set to receive the most government payments to offset damage from the U.S.’s ongoing trade war with China.
The Des Moines Register reports Iowa farmers will receive $767 million in payments from President Donald Trump’s $16 billion trade assistance program this year. The Agriculture Department announced a second round of payments under the program earlier this month.
The USDA shows that the other states getting the most federal assistance in this year’s program are Illinois, at $707 million; Minnesota, at $519 million; Texas, at $497 million; Kansas, at $474 million; and Nebraska at $466 million.
Iowa Soybean Association board president Tim Bardole said the additional payments will help but won’t solve all the problems farmers are having this year.
“I don’t know of any farmers who aren’t short of money right now,” said Bardole, who farms near Rippey, Iowa. “It’s definitely helpful, but it’s not a cure for the issues at hand.”
The ongoing trade disputes have largely cut off U.S. farmers from the Chinese market, which has dramatically reduced exports especially for soybeans.
Last year, U.S. farmers received about $8.6 billion in assistance during the first year of the trade war as part of a $12 billion aid package.
Iowa farmers received $987.7 million in last year’s agriculture bailout, second only to Illinois growers, who received $1.1 billion.
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