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SEN TOM COTTON: America's farmers are going bankrupt and we need to help them before it's too late
Fox News ^ | Nov 24, 2025 | Sen. Tom Cotton

Posted on 11/25/2025 11:19:31 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege

Here’s the bottom line: America’s farmers need help — now.

In my home state of Arkansas, for instance, our farmers are set to lose hundreds of dollars per acre on their soybean, corn, cotton and long-grain rice crops this year alone. The situation has gotten so bad that Arkansas cash crop receipts are now projected to fall by $617 million in 2025.

Adding to these challenges...the contrast between the steep cost of inputs (such as seed, fertilizer and diesel) and the commodity prices that farmers receive for their crops is at its highest level in 25 years. Put differently, input costs are too high and revenues are too low for many farmers to turn a profit, or at the very least, keep their businesses afloat...Among all southern region Chapter 12 bankruptcies...one in four were filed in Arkansas.

...In recent months, soybean farmers have been unfairly targeted by communist China. This is particularly difficult for Arkansans, given that soybeans are grown in 41 of Arkansas’ 75 counties... While I welcome the announcement that communist China intends to purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans this year — and 25 million metric tons every year for the next three years — we ought to keep in mind President Ronald Reagan’s old Cold War approach: trust, but verify.

... Now that the Schumer Shutdown has finally come to an end, we can get back to work providing relief to our farmers that will bridge the gap between now and when the Working Families Tax Cut provisions kick in next year.

Our farmers and ranchers must have the necessary assistance and support to get through to the next season. But just as importantly, they must be able to continue growing, harvesting and operating for generations to come.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Arkansas; Issues; State and Local; U.S. Congress
KEYWORDS: agriculture; arkansas; bankruptcy; beef; china; farmers; farms; freemoney; handouts; interior; otherpeoplesmoney; soy; soybeans; subsidies
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To: KEVLAR

What do they do with soy beans?


21 posted on 11/25/2025 1:38:30 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: central_va

And when President Trump wanted to import meat from Argentina, which would help them and us, he was attacked by many Republicans and many here on FR as well.

I am a carnivore. I don’t eat vegetables. I want meat and its getting harder all the time. And I am being told, it is good for farmers and me to keep paying more and more. Welll,,,no


22 posted on 11/25/2025 1:40:43 PM PST by packrat35 (“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk, and they killed him anyway)
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To: packrat35

This started with Biden.


23 posted on 11/25/2025 2:00:10 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

“But just as importantly, they must be able to continue growing, harvesting and operating for generations to come.” That’s the problem Tom, they don’t want to.


24 posted on 11/25/2025 2:04:04 PM PST by kawhill (What is it you want of me? I can't hear you. )
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To: central_va

I am not blaming President Trump. I am blaming the ones who go against a solution.


25 posted on 11/25/2025 2:24:18 PM PST by packrat35 (“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk, and they killed him anyway)
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To: central_va

No, I don’t want the U.S. to have a deindustrialized agrarian and mining economy. That’s not what I said.

I do recall that the power to levy tariffs is expressly vested with Congress by the Constitution. Trump has taken a very limited grant of discretionary policy, declared an emergency, and asserted unilateral executive authority over tariffs — which now change at the speed of his twitter feed. I’m surprised the courts haven’t stopped him yet, but I won’t argue that today. FR used to be a conservative site that thought the Constitution still means something. That apparently now makes me a paleocon and globalist. But put that aside.

Yes, the U.S. had drifted into a wildly asymmetrical position on tariffs. Yes, that is long overdue for a correction. We don’t know anything about the behind the scenes discussion, but publicly this looks like rule by decree. But I’m a Paleo, so what do I know?

The burden of the article and this thread, however, is the question of appropriate relief for agriculture. This remains a key U.S. EXPORT industry, which is why it is catching some of the retaliation. I guess U.S. export industries don’t matter?


26 posted on 11/25/2025 2:25:51 PM PST by sphinx
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Every industry is suffering the effects of Bidenflation, as are all consumers.


27 posted on 11/25/2025 3:41:18 PM PST by LambSlave
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Bankruptcy resets prices and makes opportunity for lower production costs.


28 posted on 11/25/2025 6:17:17 PM PST by Sequoyah101
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