Trade Dispute, Tariffs On US Agriculture Hit N. Texas Farmer Hard
TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Jay Davis says when he and other farmers went to China 11 years ago, they learned China took advantage of American farmers.
"We realized we were out-gunned."
Davis, whose family has owned their family farm for 50 years, says he knew back then there would have to be a day of reckoning. "One of the things that we're excited to see is the hard-line by the U.S. in terms of trade negotiations."
But the hard-line he says has created pain for his family farm in Grandview in Johnson County.
The trade disputes that led to tariffs on U.S. agriculture have dropped the prices Davis has received for his two main crops: corn and wheat by as much as 25 percent since the spring.
He says the Trump administration's $12 billion in emergency aid to farmers would help but it's not something he's requesting. "No, we don't want hand-outs. We want to be able to market our goods in a fair trade situation."
The tariffs are one thing, the brutal Texas temperatures this summer have proved to be quite another.
Davis hasn't been able to produce nearly as much corn or wheat as last year. "The timing of it is terrible for Texas because so many people are dealing with drought and now depressed prices as well."
He's hoping a trade deal with Europe will lead to other agreements.
His message to President Trump is, "Get a good deal quick. We appreciate the job you're doing in negotiating a deal, but we need to get it resolved and get our commodities back out to markets."