Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, has voiced growing concern over the financial strain facing small-scale agricultural operators across the country. He emphasized that many family-run farms and ranches are grappling with severe economic challenges, driven in part by elevated input costs linked to existing trade measures.
One major factor, according to Larew, is the impact of current tariffs on essential farming supplies. For instance, fertilizer prices have surged significantly due to these policies, placing additional burdens on already tight budgets. While he welcomed the Trump administration’s commitment to probing possible anti-competitive practices in the agricultural industry, he stressed that broader policy adjustments are necessary to support struggling producers.
Although a proposed $10 billion aid package could offer some temporary relief, the NFU believes more comprehensive support is needed. This includes direct financial assistance, regulatory flexibility, and policy changes such as allowing year-round sales of E15 fuel, which could boost domestic demand for corn-based ethanol.
Larew argued that strengthening market access—both within the U.S. and abroad—is crucial for long-term sustainability. “We’d prefer to earn our income through functional markets,” he said, “but the current system is so disrupted that we must actively work to rebuild demand and restore stability.”
This week, the NFU formally urged federal officials and members of Congress to act swiftly, sending a letter calling for targeted economic relief that prioritizes independent farm operations most affected by the downturn.
— news from Brownfield Ag News
— News Original —
NFU urges action as family farmers face mounting economic pressure
The president of the National Farmers Union says the organization’s members are increasingly alarmed about the worsening state of the ag economy. n n“A lot of family farmers and ranchers out there are really under a lot of economic pressure.” n nRob Larew says the group is pleased the Trump administration has pledged to investigate potential anti-trust violations in the ag sector; however, he says current trade policies are also to blame for increasing input costs. n n“Fertilizer prices, for example, are hugely impacted by the tariffs right now.” He says, “What further ways can the administration provide exemptions to make sure that that isn’t ultimately directly impacting family farmers?” n nHe tells Brownfield that the proposed $10 billion economic assistance package would provide some relief, but NFU would like to see it taken a step further. n n“Some direct assistance, sure, but also whether it’s some regulatory relief, whether it’s things like approving E15 year-round, I think that there’s a package of tools out there that they could provide to kind of bridge us through the remainder of the year,” he says. n nLarew says that all options should be explored to increase market access for farmers, both globally and domestically. n n“We would much rather get assistance out of the marketplace that’s working, but this market is so kind of chaotic and turned upside down that we need to continue to work to grow demand and build back a marketplace so that we can ultimately get that price that can allow us to continue to farm,” he says. n nNFU sent a letter this week to the administration and Congressional leaders urging immediate action to provide economic relief for family farmers and ranchers facing worsening financial conditions, emphasizing that aid should reach family farm operations that need it most.