Vice News: Iowa Farmers Still Love Trump Despite Trade War Pain

REPORTER China s tariffs ░░░░░░░░ deliberately targeted industries in ░░░░░░░░ that supported Trump That ░░░░░░░░ farmers In 2017 the ░░░░░░░░ biggest market for their ░░░░░░░░ products was China Since ░░░░░░░░ it s been buying ░░░░░░░░ less crushing prices for ░░░░░░░░ like soybeans Farmers were ░░░░░░░░ dealing with historic flooding ░░░░░░░░ extreme heat Last week ░░░░░░░░ got more bad news ░░░░░░░░ was canceling all purchases ░░░░░░░░ American agricultural products over ░░░░░░░░ tough talk from Trump ░░░░░░░░ administration has tried to ░░░░░░░░ their pain by doling ░░░░░░░░ almost 25 billion in ░░░░░░░░ Even so many are ░░░░░░░░ Farmers in Iowa were ░░░░░░░░ to talk with us ░░░░░░░░ business and how the ░░░░░░░░ wars hurt them but ░░░░░░░░ weren t quite ready ░░░░░░░░ drop their support for ░░░░░░░░ GREINER We have the ░░░░░░░░ soil really in the ░░░░░░░░ here in Iowa and ░░░░░░░░ the weather is good ░░░░░░░░ that we can grow ░░░░░░░░ good corn and soybean ░░░░░░░░ HORA There s definitely ░░░░░░░░ lot more that goes ░░░░░░░░ corn and soybeans than ░░░░░░░░ you would think There ░░░░░░░░ a lot of planning ░░░░░░░░ goes into it You ░░░░░░░░ got to understand all ░░░░░░░░ the inputs that you ░░░░░░░░ at the beginning of ░░░░░░░░ year you have to ░░░░░░░░ contracts and whatnot for ░░░░░░░░ you have to understand ░░░░░░░░ these new seeds and ░░░░░░░░ new hybrids new varieties ░░░░░░░░ seed everything s changing ░░░░░░░░ the time JACKSON We ░░░░░░░░ able to produce on ░░░░░░░░ average of about 215 ░░░░░░░░ per acre yields was ░░░░░░░░ production history last year ░░░░░░░░ Cost of production is ░░░░░░░░ pretty much I think ░░░░░░░░ every farmer GREINER This ░░░░░░░░ it cost me on ░░░░░░░░ farm about 560 to ░░░░░░░░ in an acre corn ░░░░░░░░ I need to have ░░░░░░░░ more than 560 per ░░░░░░░░ if I m going ░░░░░░░░ make money HORA Most ░░░░░░░░ the corn that s ░░░░░░░░ in this area is ░░░░░░░░ into an ethanol facility ░░░░░░░░ lot of the soybeans ░░░░░░░░ going on to the ░░░░░░░░ or down to the ░░░░░░░░ of Mexico loaded up ░░░░░░░░ barges and bigger vessels ░░░░░░░░ a lot of those ░░░░░░░░ going into Eastern Asian ░░░░░░░░ like China GREINER The ░░░░░░░░ States farmers always grow ░░░░░░░░ than we can use ░░░░░░░░ So export markets are ░░░░░░░░ important to farmers That ░░░░░░░░ kind of what I ░░░░░░░░ call the gravy That ░░░░░░░░ the extra that we ░░░░░░░░ If we can t ░░░░░░░░ it here we would ░░░░░░░░ to sell it to ░░░░░░░░ else and get rid ░░░░░░░░ it and then prices ░░░░░░░░ up and we can ░░░░░░░░ a little more money ░░░░░░░░ We have to understand ░░░░░░░░ is the market going ░░░░░░░░ be a year a ░░░░░░░░ and a half out ░░░░░░░░ we have to be ░░░░░░░░ a decision based on ░░░░░░░░ JACKSON Well tariffs are ░░░░░░░░ think in the world ░░░░░░░░ agriculture something that most ░░░░░░░░ don t look to ░░░░░░░░ a positive light I ░░░░░░░░ been farming here four ░░░░░░░░ a half decades to ░░░░░░░░ and I functioned through ░░░░░░░░ scenarios where they used ░░░░░░░░ as the go between ░░░░░░░░ the tariff conversation Unfortunately ░░░░░░░░ think when you talk ░░░░░░░░ we need to look ░░░░░░░░ the bigger picture HORA ░░░░░░░░ what we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ like even looking at ░░░░░░░░ for metal and steel ░░░░░░░░ s impacting the price ░░░░░░░░ farm equipment it s ░░░░░░░░ the price of grain ░░░░░░░░ like behind me So ░░░░░░░░ of those big infrastructure ░░░░░░░░ big capital investments the ░░░░░░░░ are impacting that too ░░░░░░░░ it s hurting us ░░░░░░░░ the price of what ░░░░░░░░ re buying to farm ░░░░░░░░ the amount of revenue ░░░░░░░░ we re able to ░░░░░░░░ on our crop also ░░░░░░░░ I don t like ░░░░░░░░ They distort the market ░░░░░░░░ you can take your ░░░░░░░░ that would normally be ░░░░░░░░ priced and you ve ░░░░░░░░ over priced it so ░░░░░░░░ wants to buy it ░░░░░░░░ China choosing to go ░░░░░░░░ South America or buy ░░░░░░░░ out of Ukraine is ░░░░░░░░ one of the biggest ░░░░░░░░ biggest scares that we ░░░░░░░░ have It s been ░░░░░░░░ super long term ally ░░░░░░░░ a long time We ░░░░░░░░ to do all that ░░░░░░░░ can to make sure ░░░░░░░░ we protect that GREINER ░░░░░░░░ ll use an example ░░░░░░░░ 15 months ago an ░░░░░░░░ farmer could sell soybeans ░░░░░░░░ his local elevator for ░░░░░░░░ 10 a bushel Today ░░░░░░░░ can sell those same ░░░░░░░░ for around 7 75 ░░░░░░░░ bushel So that s ░░░░░░░░ reduction of 2 25 ░░░░░░░░ a bushel We re ░░░░░░░░ beans below our cost ░░░░░░░░ production JACKSON In essence ░░░░░░░░ doing the right things ░░░░░░░░ think our goal is ░░░░░░░░ stand behind our president ░░░░░░░░ we agree with him ░░░░░░░░ not and move forward ░░░░░░░░ you know a solidarity ░░░░░░░░ GREINER I don t ░░░░░░░░ if there s a ░░░░░░░░ point I am feeling ░░░░░░░░ little bit worn out ░░░░░░░░ don t care for ░░░░░░░░ Tweets I don t ░░░░░░░░ go do business and ░░░░░░░░ t tell people about ░░░░░░░░ all the time on ░░░░░░░░ Tweet This trade dispute ░░░░░░░░ with China has been ░░░░░░░░ on for over a ░░░░░░░░ And to me I ░░░░░░░░ running out of patience ░░░░░░░░ wish it was taken ░░░░░░░░ of HORA I think ░░░░░░░░ definitely need to be ░░░░░░░░ to get some deals ░░░░░░░░ out with China with ░░░░░░░░ and Mexico and whatnot ░░░░░░░░ we ll continue to ░░░░░░░░ political games and whatnot ░░░░░░░░ be able to get ░░░░░░░░ I think those things ░░░░░░░░ hold off in the ░░░░░░░░ and I hope that ░░░░░░░░ Americans we can hold ░░░░░░░░ longer than the Chinese ░░░░░░░░ in some of those ░░░░░░░░ GREINER A sustainable trade ░░░░░░░░ would be to let ░░░░░░░░ do away with the ░░░░░░░░ let s have free ░░░░░░░░ We ll sell you ░░░░░░░░ you need and we ░░░░░░░░ buy from you what ░░░░░░░░ need And do away ░░░░░░░░ the tariffs let the ░░░░░░░░ take care of it.”