What's up with tomato prices? The U.S. has collected $4.6 million in tomato tariffs — a 'staggering' 27,879% increase

The price of tomatoes is up 40% over
last year. (Photo by E. Akyurt, Unsplash)

For many Americans, tomatoes are a grocery staple, so heading into a store only to see the price of red sauce or salsa skyrocket serves as a reminder that the country is facing ongoing affordability challenges.

"Prices for those red orbs have soared more than any other food product over the past year to cement a spot as one of the consumer headaches du jour," reports Matt Sedensky of The Associated Press.

In the case of tomatoes, their "prices are up about 40% over a year ago, according to the latest Consumer Price Index," Sedensky explains. In comparison, coffee prices are up 18.5%, beef roasts are up 17.8%, and frozen fish and seafood are up 12%.

The war with Iran and tariffs are the two primary reasons tomatoes are pricier. "The war spiked gas prices and increased shipping costs," Sedensky explains. "Meantime, the U.S. withdrew from a deal allowing duty-free imports of tomatoes from Mexico, which grows most of America’s supply."

While American tomato farmers cheered to see their competition get slapped with a 17% tomato tariff,  Sedensky writes, soaring tomato prices have been another inflation shock for many U.S. consumers and restaurant operators.

Federal data says it best: "U.S. tariffs collected on tomatoes ballooned from just $16,424 in 2024 to nearly $4.6 million," AP reports. "A staggering 27,879% increase."

Some consumers have rushed to plant gardens, but for restaurants that collectively use thousands of tomatoes a day, the cost increase is hard to absorb.

Wayne Humphrey, chief operating officer of Snarf’s Sandwiches, where sliced tomatoes top most sandwiches, told AP, "That single ingredient now costs us more than $1.7 million in additional spend annually. The math is getting harder to ignore.”

Ag round-up: Nearly 70% of farmers can't afford fertilizer; union and JBS reach deal; real help for stressed farmers

Share of farmers unable to afford all required fertilizer. (American Farm Bureau Federation graph)

Nearly 70% of American farmers report they can't afford all the fertilizer they need this season because of increased input prices due to the war in Iran and an already stressed farm economy, according to an April survey of 5,700 farmers by the American Farm Bureau Federation. "Farmers in the Southern region reported the greatest difficulty securing fertilizer, with 78% unable to afford all needed inputs this season," reports Faith Parum of AFBF. "Producers in the Northeast and West also reported significant challenges, with 69% and 66%, respectively, unable to afford all required fertilizer, compared to 48% in the Midwest.”

In an effort to drill down into why fertilizer prices have increased so dramatically since 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is "working with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission on ongoing investigations into fertilizer and other agricultural input costs," reports Chris Clayton of Progressive Farmer. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden has "continued his criticisms about concentration in the fertilizer industry, calling out The Mosaic Company for announcing it will close phosphorus mines in Brazil. . . . Vaden argued the global market is signaling a need for more supply -- not less. He questioned why a major producer would scale back output under those conditions."

The Greeley plant can process roughly 6,000
cattle per day. (Photo by L. Angharad) 

The local union representing roughly 3,800 beef plant workers in Greeley, Colorado, and meatpacking giant JBS announced a new labor contract agreement early this week, reports Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. Beef plant workers went on strike on March 16, "seeking higher wages and other workplace changes. . . . The Colorado plant can slaughter about 6,000 cattle a day, representing roughly 5% of U.S. beef-processing capacity." The new agreement includes worker wage increases through 2027 and protects employees from having to pay for their own required protective equipment. The last slaughterhouse strike happened at a Minnesota Hormel plant in 1985. 

Despite the multiple pain points for American soybean farmers in 2026, some of the rising input costs and sinking soybean prices have evolved over the past several years -- only to be exacerbated by tariff levies and the war with Iran, report Eric Ferkenhoff of Lee Enterprises and Josh Kelety of The Associated Press. "Costs, such as equipment, have crept up over time while soybean prices have stayed low." Doug Bartek, a fifth-generation farmer, told reporters, "Our biggest struggles are our inputs, be it fertilizer, seed, chemical or parts. There has been so much drastic markup in all of these. And I just kind of feel like the farmer’s kind of painted in the corner." Many Midwest soybean producers share Bartek’s worries.

Real Farmer Care wants to give farmers the means to
care for themselves. (Graphic by A. Dixon, Offrange)

Are you a farmer in need of some downtime? Do you know a stressed-out farmer who might be forgetting to care for themselves because they're tending to everything else? If either answer is yes, consider nominating yourself or another farmer-in-need-of-care for one of Real Farmer Care's $200 microgrants, writes Nicole Caruth for Offrange. "Think a stress-relieving massage, a pair of sturdy work boots, or just a dinner outing with friends. The grants are small, but can potentially have a big impact." From squeezing tariffs to eye-popping fertilizer costs, U.S. farmers are having a rough year. The brief nomination form is here. 

Agriculture leaders warn of possible 'widespread collapse of American agriculture' without significant changes

Nearly half of all U.S. farms are not profitable.
(Photo by Matthew Putney, DTN)

A bipartisan group of agricultural leaders representing nearly all sectors of the industry sent a letter to congressional agriculture leaders outlining how current farmer distress is so extreme that, if left unaddressed, the country risks a "widespread collapse of American agriculture." 

The missive identifies the primary causes of the current farm crisis and urges Congress to begin passing its recommended corrective actions immediately.

"The group charged that Trump administration policies 'have caused tremendous harm to U.S. agriculture' and are having long-term negative effects on the competitiveness of farmers and agriculture," report Jerry Hagstrom and Chris Clayton of Progressive Farmer.

The letter points out the stark realities that many American farmers face today: "Farmer bankruptcies have doubled, barely half of all farms will be profitable this year, and the U.S. is running a historic agriculture trade deficit. These metrics reflect a sharp reversal from record farm export surpluses and farm incomes experienced just a few years ago."

The letter cites multiple factors causing the crisis:

• Increased farm input costs driven by tariffs on fertilizer, farm chemicals and machinery parts
• Loss of export markets due to trade wars and withdrawal from trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership
• Weakening of international trade partnerships as traditional allies turn to other suppliers
• Disruptions to agricultural labor supply affecting dairy, fruit and produce, and meat processing
• Massive cuts to USDA staffing and agricultural research funding
• Reductions in foreign aid and domestic food programs

The group asked Congress to immediately take nine specific actions to begin restoring stability for American farmers, including exempting all farm inputs from tariffs, passing legislation for E15 ethanol, passing Trade Promotion Authority, completing review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and passing a new farm bill and farm labor reform.

A letter synopsis and a copy of the letter, including the names and positions of all 27 signatories, are found here. 

Trump announces $12 billion in farm aid, but many farmers don't think bailout checks address bigger challenges

American farmers need more markets. (USDA photo)

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers hurt by the president's “long-reaching tariffs,” report Brian Schwartz, Natalie Andrews and Patrick Thomas for The Wall Street Journal. “Much of the aid —$11 billion— will be in the form of one-time payments through the Farmer Bridge Assistance program.” 

International tariff wars, particularly those between the U.S. and China, have contributed to a financially challenging year for American farmers, with soybean farmers bearing the largest losses. “Crop prices have remained low, especially after harvesting the largest crop on record this fall,” Schwartz explains. “Through the first nine months of 2025, farm bankruptcies rose by nearly 50% compared with the same period in 2024.”

Although many farmers need the additional funds to pay down debt and invest in next year’s planting, many see them as a short-term solution. Erin Ailworth, Ilena Peng and Michael Hirtzer of Bloomberg News report, “Growers who have struggled with low crop prices, rising costs, and lost markets, [have called] Trump’s farm aid a temporary fix for deeper economic challenges.”

Missouri farmer Marty Richardson told Bloomberg, “This is kind of a Band-Aid — we need more markets more than we need aid.”

While U.S. soybean farmers suffered from a summer and fall without sales to China, presumably due to Trump’s tariffs, many know the country has been working for years to reduce its dependence on American soybeans. Bloomberg reports, “Trump’s first trade war resulted in China accelerating a diversion of its supply chain away from the U.S. to places like South America. U.S. farmers have lost crucial market share to competitors, particularly Brazil.”

Some American growers don’t think 2026 will be any better than this year. Sam Taylor, a farm inputs analyst, told Bloomberg, “This time next year, we’re going to be having much the same conversation about margins for growers, about the potential need for economic support.”

Farmers can start applying for the aid package next month. WSJ reports, "Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that the money will start going out at the end of February." 

Democrats announce plan to 'win over voters in rural areas.'

It could take years for Democrats to see rural voter
 gains. (Adobe Stock photo)

In a bid to change its relationship with rural voters, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced a first-of-its-kind investment to "win over voters in rural areas — where the party has suffered deep losses in recent elections — in their effort to win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives next year," reports Ashley Lopez of NPR.

Committee members see the U.S. economy as a topic they can use to engage Trump-supporting and leaning rural voters by showing that Democrats have something better to offer.

Suzan DelBene, who chairs the DCCC, told Lopez, "I think Republicans are turning their back. They've been actively hurting rural communities with the policies they've put in place."

Anthony Flaccavento, co-founder and executive director of the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative, said "economic frustration among most voters could provide an opening for Democrats, and that rural voters tend to align with economically populist policies," Lopez explains.

While Democrats plan their eight-figure investment to make inroads with rural American voters through targeted campaigns and staff focused on rural issues, it's impossible to predict whether they will be able to generate a meaningful shift in rural opinion in the near future.

Lopez reports, "Flaccavento said winning back at least a slice of those rural voters is likely to be 'hard as hell' for Democrats. But, he said, it's a problem the party needs to confront head-on." Flaccavento is pushing for Democrats to make long-term investments in rural races over the next decade, not just the next couple of election cycles. 

After a long wait by American farmers, China purchases U.S. soybeans for the first time since January

The loss of Chinese soybean sales over the summer 
caused U.S. soy prices to plummet. (Adobe Stock photo)

After months of giving American soybean farmers the cold shoulder, China purchased 14 cargoes of U.S. soybeans earlier this week. Karl Plume of Reuters reports, "It's the largest purchase since at least January and the most significant since a summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in October." 

Although soybeans from South America are significantly cheaper, Beijing purchased U.S. beans to "meet the pledges it made to Washington at the trade summit in Busan, South Korea," Plume explains. "The White House said China had agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans this year." That's less than half of what China purchased -- roughly 27 million tons -- of U.S. soy in 2024.

 

The purchase marks a positive shift in U.S.-China trade relations, after a summer of tariff wars between the two countries, which led China to skip U.S. soybeans and instead purchase millions of tons of soy from Brazil and Argentina. 

 

The loss of Chinese soy purchases over the summer caused U.S. soy prices to tank, hurting American farmers already under stress from high costs and income insecurity. China bought nearly half of all U.S. soybeans in 2024.

 

Jim Sutter, chief executive officer of the U.S. Soybean Export Council, told Reuters, "It is good to see the hard work of our U.S. trade negotiators and their Chinese counterparts turning into business for U.S. soy farmers and exporters. We look forward to this continuing as trade lanes are restored." 

Any federal aid package is unlikely to reach American farmers in time for 2026 crop planning

Farmers plan out their next planting season during
the winter. (Adobe Stock photo)

Relief money for American farmers caught up in the Trump administration's recent trade disputes is likely to arrive too late to help them plan 2026 crops. "For months, farmers have pleaded for government aid to soften the blow of trade wars and another unprofitable harvest," reports Kevin Draper of The New York Times. "Most farmers and bankers have concluded that any aid will be too little and too late to rescue the next planting season."

The post-harvest season is when most farmers take stock of their finances and partner with their bankers to plan expenditures for the following year; however, high crop yields, low commodity prices, and few sales to China have caused some farmers to forgo any 2025 sales and store beans and grain. Other farmers have sold their crops at a loss. Both groups face the prospect of having to take on debt or use their cash reserves to fund their next planting season.

Even if the Department of Agriculture and the Trump administration work with speedy precision, it could "still take months before farmers receive any checks," Draper explains. "That would be well after the crucial winter [decision] period."

Stephen Vaden, the deputy secretary of agriculture, said on the “AgriTalk” radio show last month, "We may need to have a bridge to next year, but how many lanes that bridge has is going to be determined by what the market does between now and then."

Farmers are also waiting on new Farm Bill decisions. Draper adds, "It is also unclear if Congress will pass a new farm bill, which expired in 2023 and was extended a third time as part of the legislation to reopen the government."

Farmer opinion: 'The pain has spread far beyond my fields. Every person and business in rural America is feeling it.'

U.S. farmers sold nearly half of nation's 2024 soybean crop
to China. (Adobe Stock photo)

Even with a relief package, U.S. farmers can't recoup losses from the U.S.-China tariff war. "We’re on the verge of the nation’s worst farm crisis since the 1980s," writes Mark Heckman in his opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal. Promises from China to "buy a 'tremendous' amount of soybeans, as President Trump put it, aren’t good enough either. We want fair trade."

American farmers sold $12.6 billion in soybeans to China in 2024, which equals roughly half of the soybeans grown in the U.S. But in retaliation against Trump's 2025 tariffs, China snubbed U.S. farmers and bought billions of bushels of beans from South American countries. Heckman writes, "Most of mine will sit unsold in a warehouse."

He said the media often describe "potential relief payments to American soybean farmers as a 'bailout.' I see it as a slap in the face," Heckman adds. "The money won’t come close to making up for the hurt in farm country. . . . The pain has spread far beyond my fields. . . . Every person and business in rural America is feeling it."

"Meanwhile, Trump is boasting," Heckman writes. "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s elaboration on Trump’s promise from China — feels hollow. What happens if the Chinese don’t come through? More tariffs causing more pain to American farmers like me."

Border taxes serve "no financial purpose if the federal government simply intends to redistribute the money it collects," Heckmans explains. "It turns self-sufficient producers into supplicants pleading for subsidies. . . .The government should get out of American farmers’ way and allow market forces to work. Don’t give us handouts. Let us sell what we grow to the people who want to buy it, at home and abroad."

Mark Heckman is a hog, cattle, corn and soybean farmer who serves as vice chairman of the Global Farmer Network.

American consumers are worried about their energy bills, the job market and the increased cost of groceries

Americans deploy different strategies to counter grocery
costs. (Adobe Stock photo)

Between spiking energy bills and a dreary jobs market, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs documents the deep stress many Americans feel about their bills and future financial prospects, reports Olivier Knox of U.S. News and World Report. Along with those worries, American consumers continue to look for ways to counter the ever-increasing cost of groceries.

When asked about utility bills, 36% of poll respondents said their "electricity bills are a 'major' source of stress, and a bit more than one half – 54% – said the same about grocery costs, a little more than a year ahead of the November 2026 midterm," Knox writes.

Roughly 47% of polled adults said they were "'not very' or 'not at all confident' they could find a good job if they wanted to," Knox reports. This response marks a big increase from 37% the last time the question was asked in October 2023.

Polled responses were somewhat surprising given the U.S. economy's low unemployment numbers and healthy stock market gains. Knox adds, "But there are worrying signs, including a weakening labor market."

While many Americans express concern about the overall cost of living, most continue to battle ongoing grocery price increases, reports Christopher Kuo of The Wall Street Journal. According to the Labor Department data, since August 2024, the price of "coffee increased 20.9%, ground beef was up 12.8%, and bananas rose 6.6%. Dairy, fruits, vegetables and cereals have all become pricier."

In an effort to help stretch their food budgets, some consumers are "cutting back on purchases, stockpiling certain foods or exploring more-affordable stores," Kuo adds. Other shoppers have become choosier about what lands in their cart, while others scour sale-only items.

U.S. food costs are rising due to higher commodity prices for items like beef, along with market adjustments to tariffs. Kuo explains, "Some of these costs have been absorbed by food companies; others are being passed on to consumers."

U.S. soybean farmers panic over lack of sales to China

Some U.S. soybean farmers will store, instead of sell,
this year's crop. (Photo by Mark Serafino, Unsplash)

U.S. farmers haven’t sold beans to China, and soybean growers are sounding the alarm. "American soybean farmers are in panic mode as they harvest what is expected to be a bumper crop," reports Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. "China accounted for more than half of the $24.5 billion of American soybean exports last year."

By snubbing American soybeans and purchasing South American-grown beans instead, China is once again using U.S. farmer strife as a way to punish the Trump administration's trade wars. Thomas adds, "From January through August of this year, Chinese buyers purchased just over 200 million bushels of U.S. soybeans, compared with almost 1 billion bushels over the same period last year."

Even before China opted not to purchase U.S. soybeans, American farmers were already struggling with high costs for equipment, labor and fertilizer. "Congress in December passed a $10 billion bailout for farmers," Thomas wrote. "President Trump said on Monday that he was 'going to do some farm stuff this week' to help growers cope with the loss of exports to China."

Meanwhile, some soybean growers are choosing to store their harvested crops for now. Iowa soybean grower Morey Hill told Thomas, “There’s no incentive to sell right now." Hill predicted that without sales to China, the soybean market could likely turn into a "blood bath."

Instead of waiting on China, Hill has been traveling to countries such as Cambodia and Morocco, working to educate farmers on the benefits of using U.S. soybeans in their fish and animal feed, which is what China does with the majority of its soybeans.

The European Union, Mexico, Vietnam, Egypt and Bangladesh also purchase U.S. soybeans, but those sales, even when combined, aren't enough.

Opinion: Annual harvests in Ohio turned into a 'mess' by trade wars, low prices and sky-high input costs

China hasn't purchased a single soybean from
the U.S. in 2025. (Adobe Stock photo)

 

Despite better weather and decent crop production, many American farmers face extreme financial distress due to tariffs, sinking commodity prices and the lack of trade with China. 

For row crop farmers in Ohio, the tariffs and expenses have turned their annual harvest time into a "mess" riddled with financial loss and insecurity, writes Marilou Johanek in her opinion for the Ohio Capital Journal.

"Some growers have called the fallout from President Donald Trump's chaotic trade war, and the reciprocal tariffs it provoked, a 'farmageddon' that could ruin what made rural America great," Johanek explains.

While some U.S. farmers were not surprised that China's response to American tariffs was to snub U.S. soybeans, the pain is being felt by farmers nationwide, including those who don't trade with China. Johanek explains, "Farmers felt the same creeping despair with the tariff debacle of 2018 when Trump first slapped punitive tariffs on crucial exporters of American crops."

Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs, who left the GOP after 2018 tariffs caused China to increase its farming trade with South America, told Johanek, "We’re back in the same situation, but only worse. In the major commodities, corn, wheat, soybeans, sorghum, rice, cotton, prices are below the cost of production, so there’s built-in loss."

Beyond too few trading partners, farmers face soaring input costs. Johanek writes, "Senseless tariffs on fertilizer, steel, aluminum, and lumber just sent the cost of doing business through the roof. . . . Trump tariffs are especially painful for family farms that make up about 87% of all farms in Ohio."

Farmers and the agricultural industry impact job and business sectors throughout the U.S. and contribute roughly $9.5 trillion, or nearly 20%, to the national economy.

Agriculture economists say farming recession, trade without China causing 'severe' financial squeeze

Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor graph

Agriculture economists share a bleak outlook for American farmers."The financial squeeze gripping row crop agriculture is only growing more severe, according to the latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor. As of September, 91% think the U.S. crops sector is in a recession, which is an all-time high for the anonymous survey," reports Tyne Morgan of Farm Journal.

Without orders from China, low soybean sales continue to be the "biggest drag on the farm economy," Morgan explains. "In fact, 77% of economists surveyed say current U.S.-China trade policies are hurting farmers." More than half of experts surveyed think China will eventually purchase U.S. soybeans.

Morgan writes, "Ag lenders in some regions, such as the mid-South, warn farmers are experiencing the most financial stress since the 1980s."

Graph by Lindsey Pound, Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

Looking ahead to next year, agricultural economists are divided. Morgan writes. "Fifty percent say it will be somewhat worse off or unchanged, while the other half expect the situation to slightly improve."

The Department of Agriculture plans to release its farm aid package sometime over the next two weeks. Morgan adds, "Sixty-two percent of surveyed economists said government direct payments benefit crop producers."

Trump announces plan to use tariff dollars to fund U.S. farmer bailout checks

Many U.S. farmers are harvesting crops that don't 
have a buyer. (Adobe Stock photo)

President Donald Trump announced plans to use tariff dollars to help U.S. farmers facing extreme economic strain due to high input costs and poor trade opportunities. Grace Yarrow and Meridith Lee Hill of Politico report, "Trump said he will use tariff revenue to offer cash bailouts for farmers who are struggling with trade uncertainty and other economic headwinds."

Trump told reporters, "We’re going to take some of that tariff money that we made, we’re going to give it to our farmers, who are, for a little while, going to be hurt until the tariffs kick into their benefit. . . .So we’re going to make sure that our farmers are in great shape, because we’re taking in a lot of money.”

Some Republicans share Trump's preference for tapping tariff dollars to help farmers, but other GOP lawmakers worry the plan "could run into roadblocks if the Supreme Court decides Trump’s tariffs are not legal," Politico reports. Several Republicans also cite what Democrats might ask for in return for agreeing to use tariff dollars to fund farmer checks.

While the Trump administration has promised to deliver better trade deals, American farmers are still waiting. Meanwhile, lobbyists and lawmakers from farming districts are pushing hard for a farm aid package to be passed soon. 

American farmers worried about lack of soybean sales to China; trade war could wipe out a 'generation of farmers'

China usually buys 51% of U.S. soybeans every year.
(Unsplash photo)

A North Dakota soybean farm is expected to lose $400,000 this year due to China’s boycott of American soybeans because of tariffs President Trump placed on Chinese goods, Alan Rapperport of The New York Times reported.

That farm is just one of many being hurt by the tariffs and trade wars. “Are we going to lose a generation of farmers because of the trade war? I think that’s what we’re fast approaching,” Justin Sherlock, a farmer and president of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association said in an interview with Rapperport. 

China has used its status as a major consumer of American agricultural products since Trump’s first term to strategically pressure the administration toward more favorable trade deals. This year soybean farmers have taken a major hit, but China has also scaled back purchases of other products as well.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has considered rolling out aid for farmers impacted by China’s pushback against tariffs.

“Farmers tend to live in Republican states that voted for Mr. Trump, so harming them economically threatened a core constituency,” Rapperport wrote. In other words, the livelihoods of American farmers have become bargaining chips in the U.S.-China trade war.

Farmers in North Dakota are increasingly worried that a deal will not be made in time for the nearing soybean harvest season. And for an industry that is already struggling to stay afloat, that could mean more farm closures.

US-China trade war has hurt American soybean sales

American soybean farmers head into the harvest without
sales to China. (Photo by Daniela Paola Alchapar, Unsplash)

One quarter to a third of American soybean exports were purchased by China before the US-China trade wars began in 2018, Keith Bradsher from The New York Times reported.

Now American soybean exports to China have fallen to zero. China has boycotted buying the crop in retaliation of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration on Chinese imports. China now buys soybeans from Brazil.

“The pain is being felt in Midwest states, especially Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. For the first time in many years, American farmers are preparing to harvest their crop this fall with no purchase orders from China,” Bradsher wrote.

Farmers in rural China are also facing the impact of the trade war.

Because of rising demand, soybeans can fetch higher prices, and thus some farmers in Heilongjiang Province (where the greatest output of soybeans in China comes from) are turning a profit.

However, the crop yield from Chinese soybean farmers in Heilongjiang Province is not enough to supply all of China, and many farmers in the area do not want to grow soybeans because it requires more effort and overall is less profitable than corn. At the same time, rural areas face labor shortages as the youth move to the cities for higher paying jobs.

Gulf Coast shrimpers have seen their profits go from jumbo to tiny over the past four decades

A shrimper weighs his catch in Buras, Louisiana. He now makes about $3 less per pound (adjusted for inflation) than he made in the mid 1980s. (Civil Eats photo)

As the U.S. shrimping industry limps along, shrimping advocates are asking for government controls and consumer support to help change their fortunes.

"Shrimpers along the Gulf Coast have struggled to compete with cheaper imported shrimp. . . and dealt with rising fuel costs," report Jake Price and Olivia Shaffett of Civil Eats. "In the 1980s, shrimpers could sell a pound of shrimp for about $4.50 (adjusted for inflation). In recent years, they have been lucky to get $1.50."

Industry experts say Louisiana shrimping's survival depends on the U.S. government establishing guardrails, "whether [through] quotas, import caps, or higher tariffs to curtail the high volume of imported shrimp," Price and Shaffett write. Consumer education on how to spot U.S. shrimp can also help the industry.

Rocky Ditcharo, a seafood wholesaler in Buras, Louisiana, believes government intervention is needed. He told Civil Eats, "If we can’t cap imports, if there is no solution. . . .Then this industry dies in 20 years."

Ditcharo also sees smart consumerism as an equally important piece. "Consumers should inspect the back of the pack to find the country of origin, method of production, and manufacturer," Price and Shaffett explain. "Descriptions such as 'wild-caught,' 'wild,' and 'Atlantic' usually indicate that the shrimp is a product of the U.S."

Eating imported shrimp means the Food and Drug Administration doesn't have authority over product testing before it lands on U.S. shelves. Earlier this week, the FDA issued an urgent recall for Indonesian shrimp sold at Walmart that could be radioactive. "Certain Great Value raw frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart are being recalled due to possible contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope," reports Erin Keller of the Independent. The shrimp recall details are here.

Beginning in August, the Trump administration "increased tariffs on top shrimp importers, including Vietnam (20%) and Indonesia (19%) . . . India, which accounts for roughly one-third of all shrimp imports in the U.S., faces the highest tariffs of 50%," Price and Shaffet add. 

Opinion: Federal policies targeting farming workforce and income need to be addressed before a bailout is needed

New federal policies seem to take aim at farming
incomes. (Photo by Richard Bell, Unsplash)

U.S. farmers face a rocky future as federal policies cut into sector labor and profitability. "Agriculture stands out as acutely vulnerable to President Donald Trump’s avalanche of tariffs, mass deportations and potential new regulations," writes The Washington Post editorial board. "Farmers don’t need a bailout. They need relief from overregulation and excessive immigration enforcement."

Soybean and corn farmers are "panicking about Trump’s trade wars, which expose them to retaliation from China, Canada and Mexico, their most important export markets," the board writes. Ranchers and produce growers have stood by and watched as "agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement descended en masse across fields to detain and deport agricultural workers."

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suggested that Medicaid recipients, who will soon need to meet program work requirements, could replace the migrant workers ICE deported. Her comments "landed like an insult in farming communities," the board adds. 

Dave Puglia, president of Western Growers, a lobby group for produce growers in the West, told the Post, “The men and women who harvest our crops are highly skilled. To anybody who believes they can pick and pack in the field, go try it.”

The current administration’s solution for farmer woes is to send subsidy payments, but those will only help certain types of farms. "Trump’s tax bill included $66 billion in new spending for farm programs," the board writes. "While the generous income support programs may keep many farmers from switching political allegiances, the hit from the Trump administration’s policies won’t be easy to fix."

Using agriculture as political fodder is "unusual in American politics," the board adds. "Yet to be seen are the full economic consequences of going after America’s food producers. . . .On priorities that come at the expense of farmers, it is likely to do some real damage to the food supply. The better approach is to avert the damage, rather than wait to bail out farmers once they grow desperate."

As international grain sales dry up, Kansas farmers also face the loss of Food for Peace and other programs

Congressman Bob Dole of Kansas, standing, was a dedicated advocate for
the Food for Peace Act. (University of Kansas, Dole Archives photo)

Rich rivers of wheat have grown on the Kansas high plains for nearly 200 years. In 1953, a Kansas farmer believed he could help ease Cold War tensions by providing some of his surplus grain to a hungry world. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, another Kansan, endorsed the idea and created a program to support it.

"Food for Peace has sent sacks of grain stamped 'From the American People' to more than four billion people in 150 countries around the world," reports Elizabeth Williamson of The New York Times. "Now it is effectively dead."

In February, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, ended the program when he cut the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had administered it. Williamson writes. "Kansas’s Republican lawmakers tried to save it but failed to persuade President Donald Trump, who last month proposed cutting the entire 2026 budget for Food for Peace as well as another food aid program dear to Kansans, the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program," which began in 2003.

With Food for Peace fading, many Kansas farmers are hurting. "It was the latest blow to farmers, particularly in Kansas, where about 80% of those on the high plains voted for Trump and agriculture makes up almost half of the state’s economy," Williamson explains. Instead of a more competitive market for their crops, which Trump campaigned on, Kansas farmers are sitting on grain and facing tariffs that have choked off import sales.

The Pawnee County Co-op in Larned, Kan., is "owned by its farmers, and is one of the biggest brokers of high plains wheat. Before Trump took office in January, the co-op sold half its grain abroad, to European, Asian and African buyers," Willaimson adds. "Now the co-op’s foreign sales are 'zero,' said Kim Barnes, its chief financial officer. . . .The co-op was stuck with 1.5 million bushels of grain sorghum after Trump started his tariff war with China."

Tom Giessel, a retired farmer, is disappointed with this administration. He told Williamson, "These people really don’t know the story of Food for Peace and the roots of it. . . . Farmers shipping grain to where people were hungry — that we did these kinds of things is really what made America great.”

Quick hits: Kentucky history in photos; rural SNAP use; world's biggest telescope; gloomy toy tariffs; radishes!

South Fork of the Kentucky River, Breathitt County, Kentucky, 1940. 
(Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration)

Even one photo of an event or a person during a historical era can add rich nuance to a story. Sometimes, photos can even be the story. "Imagine looking at a state in forty-year intervals. Documenting Kentucky: Three Photographic Surveys, does just that in a new show at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky," reports Ted Wathen for The Daily Yonder." From loading cut tobacco leaves to a handful of newly hatched guinea chicks to horse-led recliners, the photographs tell quite a story.

Far fewer rural families currently use the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, than they did in 2015. "SNAP use has declined in nearly every state," reports John McCracken of Investigate Midwest. "Rural states have seen major drops in the number of households using the program, with Iowa, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee seeing the most significant declines." The recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" will reduce federal SNAP spending by $290 billion over the next decade.

A small section of the observatory’s total view of the Virgo cluster. Bright stars in the Milky Way galaxy shine in the foreground, and many distant galaxies are in the background. (NSF-DOE photo)

Outer space can be a shared adventure as the world's largest telescope starts taking pictures. "The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is poised to discover billions of new astronomical objects, revolutionizing understanding of everything from the history of the solar system to the workings of dark energy," reports Jay Bennett for Wired. "The telescope will create a decade-long, high-resolution movie of the universe. It will generate about 20 terabytes of data per day, the equivalent of three years streaming Netflix."

While Santa Claus hasn't commented on the subject, the U.S. toy industry is hurting from high tariffs on Chinese goods. "The cost of toys and games is rising at a record rate as the industry begins to feel the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China," reports Rhian Lubin of The Independent. "Nearly 80% of the toys sold in the U.S. are sourced from China, according to The Toy Association, and the industry is bracing itself. . . . Last month Mattel, the creator of Barbie, Hot Wheels, Uno, American Girl and more, was threatened by Trump for refusing to move its production to the U.S. – the ultimate goal of the president’s tariffs."

Radishes come in a wide variety of flavors, colors
and shapes. (Photo by Philippe Collard, Unsplash)

For some people, summer's glory is summed up in a trip to the garden or a local farmer's market, where a variety of colors and flavors await to be tossed together into a delectable meal. Some visitors love fresh sweet corn, while some are rhubarb aficionados, but others love root crops -- especially radishes. "Of all the root crops known to humankind, my favorite is the humble radish," writes Jerry Nelson of Successful Farming. "Radishes are a good source of vitamin C, minerals, and bad breath. But their benefits don’t end there. They don’t even begin there. . . ."

Despite all their flaws, people are remarkably adaptable and creative beings. "Humans are the only animal that lives in virtually every possible environment, from rain forests to deserts to tundra," reports Christina Larson of The Associated Press. "This adaptability is a skill that long predates the modern age. According to a new study published in Nature, ancient Homo sapiens developed the flexibility to survive by finding food and other resources in a wide variety of difficult habitats." In other words, we were born food foragers and farmers!

Despite concerns over lost sales and expenses, many farmers still support the Trump administration's tariffs

Like many farmers, Roberts supports the tariffs as a trade tool.
(Photo by Nick Judin, Mississippi Free Press)

Part of the Trump administration's tariffs target U.S. agricultural goods, but many U.S. farmers support the levies despite any current economic pain. "A May survey of 400 U.S. producers found that 70% believe the tariffs will strengthen their industry in the long term," report Illan Ireland and Nick Judin of the Mississippi Free Press. "The same poll found that just 43% of respondents think the levies will hurt their earnings this year, down from 56% a month earlier."

Many American farmers who favor the tariffs are thinking about longer-term trade benefits. Ireland and Judin explain, "China is a top destination for U.S. agricultural exports like soybeans, and getting it to buy a set amount of crops each year would guarantee a market for producers without the threat of competition, one economist explained. That certainty, in turn, would stabilize commodity crop prices."

The tariffs also pose risks, including helping South American producers grab a bigger share of the Chinese soybean market. That risk, along with high input costs and possible labor shortages has spurred concerns among some farmers. The Free Press reports, "Trump’s trade war has proven divisive for American farmers — a group that overwhelmingly backed the president during last year’s election, according to a county-level analysis by Investigate Midwest."

At present the tariffs between the U.S. and China remain in play. Ireland and Judin write, "As of June 11, the U.S. and China have reportedly reached a tentative accord to de-escalate their trade dispute without inking a significant deal. According to The New York Times, some tariffs will remain in place on both sides. . . . China has canceled mass shipments of American farm products, and industry groups warn that a lengthy trade dispute could further reduce demand for U.S. exports."

Mississippi farmer Pepper Roberts says he's planning for an uncertain season. Ireland and Judin add, "Roberts steadfastly supports the tariffs. He also has some savings from past years to fall back on if things go south." Roberts told reporters, "You can’t hit a grand slam every year. We all want the biggest profit we can ever make, but when I cross (the) break-even point, I’m ready to lock something in.”