Farmers face more challenges than rising fuel costs under Trump

A reader writing to MS NOW argues that farmers are contending with far more than expensive fuel and fertilizer, and that Republicans in Congress are overlooking the damage. The letter responds to two earlier MS NOW stories, dated Sept. 29 and Oct. 8, about farmers' frustration with input costs and about Democrats courting rural voters, some of whom are staying loyal to the GOP anyway.

The writer lists several pressures on growers. Some planted fields whose harvests were once bought by USAID and now have no buyer. Others have crops sitting unpicked because labor is unavailable. Still others took federal subsidies to build wind and solar installations and now carry debt in the tens of thousands of dollars, the writer says, because the administration turned against green energy.

The letter also recalls the farm hardships of the Reagan years, suggesting Congress has lost the memory of them, and observes that few families remain willing to take on the grueling work of running a farm. The author, who says they are not a farmer, concludes that conservative farmers should recognize that congressional Republicans are not looking out for them and should express that view at the ballot box.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →