Michigan farmers are reacting to news of a $12-billion agricultural bailout from the Trump administration.
The bailout was announced Tuesday by the Department of Agriculture to give farmers short-term relief from retaliatory tariffs from China, Canada, and Mexico.
Matt Stutzman with the Michigan Soybean Association said the money is a temporary band-aid.
“We support the president most of the time but it’s hard to support him when the actions that he and his administration are impacting you on price. We’re rooting for this to be quick and that would be the best case scenario.”
Stutzman said he is worried about recurring government support.
“We just wouldn't want to trigger any kind of WTO noncompliant action that other countries could take against us because our government is basically helping prop us up until this is over.”
And, Stutzman said, the tariffs are already having an impact.
“The newer farms coming in and the older farms trying to retire this is really hard on them to have these depressed prices.”
Stutzman said the best thing that could happen would be a quick end to all of the tariffs.