As Washington moves to cushion the blow of China’s retreat from buying US soybeans with potential financial aid and efforts to diversify export markets, American farmers say they welcome the help but would rather see Chinese orders return.
“This year is almost gone for soy farmers because they have a big harvest but no orders from China,” a farmer from Nebraska said on condition of anonymity.
“Farmers prefer to return to the normal days of stable orders, from China and elsewhere, and stay free from blows from the trade war.”
“[The aid would be] better than none for farmers, especially soy growers. Trump is doing something to relieve their pain,” the Nebraska farmer said, while urging the US president to “make China buy US agricultural products or make the cash bailout a permanent one. There is no other way around this”.
