Trade tensions, weather challenges test Iowa soybean farmers this season
Soybean farmers face rising uncertainty tied to U.S.-China trade tensions, a Cambridge grower said.
“It’s not good for anybody,” said Doug Fuller, who has farmed soybeans for nearly five decades.
Fuller said he is weary of the tariff debate and believes the fix is straightforward.
“Best-case scenario for this year is that we never have to talk about tariffs again. Free trade is the answer,” he said.
At this point, China is not buying U.S. soybeans.
Fuller expects to begin harvesting around Oct. 1, but does not anticipate a sudden buying spree.
“Doubtful,” he said. “This has been dragging on, and they don’t really want to talk with us. It’s kind of a stalemate right now.”
Weather whiplash has compounded worries.
Early rains lifted hopes, but “sudden death has set in in late summer, which is a disease that you really can’t do much about once it occurs,” Fuller said, adding that heavy moisture also washed nitrogen from the soil.
Even so, Fuller said not all is lost: Prices are roughly holding steady year over year, giving farmers a chance to break even or slightly better.
“They’re still in that $10 range,” he said, noting a clearer outlook will emerge once the combines roll in the coming weeks.
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