President Trump visited Chippewa County near Eau Claire Friday, touting his administration's support for farmers at a roundtable discussion with local agricultural producers in Chippewa Falls.
Trump told farmers he understands fuel and fertilizer costs have gone up because of the war in Iran and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. He predicted prices will come down when the war is over and hinted that federal help was on the way to help farmers get through the current stretch.
"Fertilizer prices are going to go way down, just like they were four months ago. Your fertilizer is down, your energy is down, your oil, your gas is all coming way down, and frankly, I thought it would go much higher than it did. I thought, frankly, that gasoline would be much higher. We're looking at something to take the place of what's happened, because it's artificial. What happened to you is artificial with the energy and with the fertilizer. So we're looking at something," Trump said.
Watch: President Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls
Trump did not get specific on what that federal help might look like or offer a timeline, but he did say he expects things to get better for farmers in terms of costs within 90 days.
In a statement to TMJ4, the Wisconsin Farmers Union said it hopes the president uses the visit to hear directly from farmers about the challenges they're facing and get the farm economy back on track.
Farmers TMJ4 spoke with said input costs — things like fuel and fertilizer — are among their top concerns. One farmer noted it costs $1,300 to fill up a tractor, and roughly $100 an hour to operate one of those vehicles. Some farmers purchased fertilizer early, before the war started, but others are now worried about what those costs will look like if the conflict continues and they have to start buying for the rest of the year.
Ahead of Trump’s visit on Friday, the president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union sent the following statement directly to TMJ4:
“We welcome any opportunity to put Wisconsin agriculture in the national spotlight and to remind policymakers that family farmers are facing serious challenges. Farmers are dealing with high fuel and input costs, uncertainty around export markets, labor shortages, and continued pressure from consolidation across the food system. At the same time, they're also navigating the fallout from canceled USDA programs, staffing cuts, and policy uncertainty that have made it harder to plan for the future and invest in their operations. Wisconsin farmers need stability, not chaos. We need strong markets, reliable farm programs, support for soil health and water quality initiatives, and a government that follows through on its commitments. We hope President Trump uses this visit as an opportunity to hear directly from farmers about the challenges they're facing and does more listening than talking, so we can get our farm economy back on track.”
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