Trump's promised $15B agricultural relief comes too late, says farmer

Well, the Canada-U.S. trade war has hit farmers particularly hard and the increased cost of diesel, fertilizer and equipment may be changing where farmers stand when it comes to the U.S. midterms. To help us better understand all of this, we've reached President of the National Black Farmers Association, John Boyd Jr. He is in Boydton, Virginia. Thank you so much for making time for us today. Thank you so much for having me. Okay, so first, let's set the stage. Tell me a little bit about the impact that tariffs are having when it comes to farmers in that state. Well, the tariffs have made it the worst timing and situation for farmers since the 80s. In fact, I believe it's worse than the 80s. We have 400 pending generational farmers that are facing farm foreclosure due to the tariffs, due to the... The president's war due to all-time input costs at all-time high, fertilizer, $7 diesel fuel in Virginia, $10 diesel fuel in California. And I was listening to some of their show here. These candidates, people, they got it wrong. And if they don't start talking about farmers and the impact that it has on the price of food at supermarkets, a lot of these people aren't going to vote for them. Republican or Democrat. You have to be on top of this issue because the tariffs have affected everything, from everything right on down the line. And I think this administration made a big mistake, one mistake after the other. The tariffs, the war, and the president kept going in a sense of arrogance, as though he really didn't care. He says he likes farmers. But every decision that he's made thus far as it relates to agriculture has hurt America's farmers. We're losing our farms and there's no farm moratorium in place. And I've asked the administration to put one in place. Why are American farmers losing their farms due to poor policies that the president put in place? Now, John, it's clear that this is a top-of-mind issue for you, for so many within that industry as well. I'm wondering, did you head out and vote? How much did it weigh on your mind in making your decision today? Well, it weighed very heavily on my mind. One, the Republican leadership, and I was listening to the other congressperson that was on there. It's Republicans that's in charge. It's not Democrats. Republicans that's in charge of the presidency, the House, and the Senate. So the Republicans made a complete mess out of this. And instead of the House and Senate putting some kind of curtail on the president, they let him run away like a runaway train. And the Democrats don't have a strong enough message for America's farmers other than You don't like the other guy. You don't like the president. That's not a strong enough message for America's farmers on how we're going to get out of this mess. That's what these members of mine want to hear from the MBFA. They want to know how, when, the Democrats or whoever, when, how are you going to change the situation for America's farmers? And we haven't heard a strong enough message from that. And this administration playing footsie with Canada, America's closest ally. I mean, how smart is that? And then playing. Friend, best friend to Russia, isn't putting America first. I want to say it on the show. That's not what the president campaigned for when he ran. And now he's out here buying diesel fuel from Russia. It just sends a bad signal to America's farmers. So when we do talk about what the president has said, we know the Trump administration has made $15 billion worth of promises to agricultural producers in the last few weeks ahead of the U.S. midterms. Even this morning, he talked about fertilizer and saying, I'll get all of the fertilizer you want from Canada. That was one of the promises that he made. I mean, how much weight do you put into what we're hearing from the U.S. president and the timing of what is being announced, given that today people are casting their votes? Well, it's a... You know, wood underneath the bridge is really too late because the farmers are not going to receive the payments in time. The president went from $8 billion in diesel fuel relief, and now he's up to $15 billion in other things, he says, that's going to help. America's farmers. But meanwhile, he says on certain networks that he really didn't care that, you know, we that they were making a lot of money from the high cost of gasoline. Who is who is we? Because America's farmers are hurting. It cost me a thousand dollars to fill up my combine. 140 gallons at seven dollars a gallon. I had to let some other bills go. I let my healthcare go and I had a fertilizer bill for a hundred thousand dollars. I paid it down to 40,000 dollars and the fertilizer company took me to court. I have to go to court tomorrow on this. This situation is real for America's farmers, and I'm going to be voting my pocketbook. In fact, I already have. You know, my pocketbook is empty, my wallet is empty, and a whole lot of other farmers. And for the first time in a very long time, large-scale white farmers are going under at record numbers here in the United States. Seventy-seven farmers a day are going under while the president makes a whole lot of empty promises. The only farmers that are going to get this $8 billion that he's proposing. If we do get it, our row crop farmers, and what about the rest of the farmers in America? What about truckers who have to haul these grains to the elevator, all these things? It's just too many empty promises at the last minute. And I think you're going to see a shift in this country in voting here as the results come in tonight. You know, Mr. Boyd, you touched on the fact, of course, this has put a lot of economic pressure on you in the final 30 seconds I have with you. I know that you're the president of the National Black Farmers Association. I'm wondering what your members, what is the strongest message right now from your members? They want to stop farm foreclosures and we just gathered, we had over a thousand farmers in Columbia, South Carolina this weekend from all over the country and I've never seen such a disgruntled bunch of farmers looking for answers that I simply don't have to give them. And members of Congress and the people that are running for office, you know, say they support certain things, but we haven't heard a real plan of action. To help America's farmers, Republicans messed it up and Democrats need a better message other than I hate the other guy. You know, I hate the president. That's not a strong enough message to send to farmers. This is how we're going to help you if we control the House and Senate. And that's what these farmers want to hear. Haven't heard it. And I'm suffering, too, as the head of the organization. So that I'm telling you right now that this thing is real for America's farmers. And somebody better do something because. The United States is going to find itself getting food from other sources of the world, and that's not good for America. John, I want to thank you so much for joining us and sharing the perspectives of you and your association. We appreciate your time. Thank you so much for having me. That is John Boyd, Jr. He's the president of the National Black Farmers Association, and he joined us today from Virginia.