I'm a farmer who wants fair trade, but Trump's tariffs shake future of US agriculture

Trade and tariffs. These words stir emotions and elicit reaction, but the realities are more complex than the debate, and they impact consumers as well as farmers. My family and I farm in Illinois, where farmers like us send about 30 percent of the corn and 60 percent of the soybeans we grow to other countries. Nationally, more than 20 percent of agricultural products are exported. With America exporting more farm and ranch products than we import, the U.S. economy has had a trade surplus in agriculture for decades. Farmers have little control over price. We choose the day we sell and the outlet we sell to. We can use market options. Ultimately, our buyers tell us what they are willing to pay based on prices on the board of trade. Because we can’t raise our sale prices to improve our income, we must make adjustments on the expense side by finding all possible ways to conserve cash, postpone investments, and reduce costs.Expectations for big corn and soybean crops and surplus supplies, combined with the escalating trade conflict, are weighing down crop prices. Soybean prices approached a 10-year low this month.Although the influence of U.S. trade policy cannot be completely isolated from other economic factors, the timing of trade conflicts has coincided with drops in market prices for many U.S. agricultural products.Right now, farmers are facing inflation-adjusted incomes at the lowest level since 2009, and the outlook for 2019 is considerably worse. Like our trade officials, I want fair trade that fits the needs of our country as a whole. I support the notion that some trade policies need to be reviewed and updated — with a well-planned and effective approach. But I also question whether using tit-for-tat tariffs will be effective and the potentially dire consequences of this strategy.There are signs these tariffs could work, which would be great, but whether they do or don’t, farmers are concerned this will bring long-term damage to our international reputation.