HURON, S.D. — Many farmers say the $12 billion assistance package President Trump announced this week will help, but they argue it doesn’t address the underlying trade and cost problems that have left operations unprofitable.
On a South Dakota farm, soybean grower Kevin Deinert lifts the hatch on a silver grain bin to show a full load from this year’s harvest. Before the trade dispute with China, U.S. growers routinely sold large volumes there — roughly 25 million metric tons a year since 2019. After tariffs were imposed, however, Chinese buyers shifted purchases to Brazil and other suppliers, shrinking a key market for U.S. beans.
That lost market, combined with rising input costs for fertilizer and other supplies — pushed up by inflation and tariffs on suppliers such as Canada — has put many producers in the red. Deinert calls the $12 billion package “meaningful,” but says it will not erase all the damage: he doubts the payments will allay every farmer’s worry.
Typically conservative groups that welcomed the aid still warned it won’t fully restore farm finances. The American Farm Bureau Federation and state leaders like Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins described the bridge payments as an important first step, while urging the federal government to pursue trade strategies that reopen markets, grow domestic demand and strengthen long-term farm viability.
State chapters of the National Farmers Union have been more critical, saying the administration’s trade actions inflicted lasting harm. Doug Sombke, president of the South Dakota Farmers Union, argued the aid is a stopgap that doesn’t compensate for the broader harm trade moves caused.
Agricultural lobbyists point out producers lost long-standing relationships and now pay multiple times more for some inputs, while still dealing with pandemic-era supply chain disruptions. Deinert, who also leads the South Dakota Soybean Growers Association, sums up a common view: many farmers want restored trade, not just government checks.
The administration did sign a new trade deal with China in November that pledged 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of February and 25 million metric tons over the next three years — amounts that, if delivered, would roughly return volumes to pre-trade-war levels. Deinert says some grain is moving back to Asia, but much remains unsold and growers are largely reacting to headlines rather than firm contracts.
The White House says payments from the $12 billion package should begin reaching farmers’ accounts in late February. Producers must apply by Dec. 19 and will learn exact payment amounts in January. Officials also highlighted provisions in the so-called “Big Beautiful Budget Act” that would increase price supports for commodity crops like soybeans and corn starting late next year.
Timing matters as farmers decide how much to invest or borrow for spring planting; a federal payment guarantee could help secure financing. Still, some remain pessimistic. John Kippley, a farmer and tax preparer near Aberdeen, worries the aid may be too small and too late and says lenders are wary because trade policy remains uncertain.
How farm finances fare in the months ahead could carry political weight heading into next year’s midterm elections in agricultural states like South Dakota, a Republican stronghold and home to Senate Majority Leader John Thune.