Iowa corn farmers to Trump: The government put us in ‘one hell of a bad situation’

The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) blasted the Trump administration on Tuesday, saying the government has put it in “one hell of a bad situation.”

The trade association hammered President Trump for approving what it called 31 “unjustified” refinery waivers tied to ethanol, along with his year-plus trade war with China. Those two issues, combined with the effects of climate change, are forcing the value of Iowa corn to drop ahead of harvest season, the group said.

{mosads}“Agriculture is in one hell of a bad situation right now. The government put us in this situation, and they need to help us get out of it,” Vic Miller, a corn farmer from Fayette County, said in a statement. “It’s time for President Trump to make rural America and the [Renewable Fuel Standard] great again. He made promises to American farmers and now it’s time for him to keep them.”

Trump has sought to cast himself as a staunch supporter of American farmers, a group that was part of his core supporters in the 2016 presidential race. But the U.S. agricultural community has been disproportionately harmed by the prolonged trade war between the world’s two largest economies, as China targets farm products in an apparent attempt to hit some of Trump’s main backers.

The trade war has also exacerbated fears of a potential recession in 2020, which would hurt Trump’s reelection prospects. While the president said this month the trade war may cause some “short term” pain, he maintains that farmers will be the “big winners.” 

Our Great Farmers know how important it is to win on Trade. They will be the big winners!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2019

The ICGA statement comes just days after both Washington and Beijing announced increases to their respective tariffs. Though Trump called Chinese President Xi Jinping an “enemy” last week, he said on Monday that China wants to “get back to the table.”

The National Farmers Union also hit Trump in a statement last week, saying his trade war is “making things worse.”