American farmers had a tough year in 2025, and one farmer says the blame falls squarely on President Donald Trump.
Trade wars, immigration crackdowns, and soaring input costs have left many in agriculture struggling to survive.
John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, told CNN that Trump’s tariff policies created a chain reaction that devastated family farms.
“Biden didn’t do this. All this is the result of President Trump’s bad decisions,” Boyd said.
Billions in Losses, Not Enough in Relief
Earlier this month, the White House announced a $12 billion aid package aimed at helping farmers hurt by the tariffs.
But Boyd argued that the package is far from enough.
“America’s farmers were hit with between $45 and $50 billion loss in soybean production in this country. So what the president is proposing is a drop in the bucket,” he said.
To make matters worse, Boyd said the aid won’t even arrive in time to be useful. Payments are expected in February, but farmers need funds well before that to prepare for planting.
“My farm note is due in December, and January is when farmers like myself need assistance,” Boyd explained.
Soybeans, Markets, and Missed Harvests
Boyd, who has been farming soybeans and raising cattle in Virginia for more than four decades, said he personally experienced the fallout.
During harvest season, grain elevators were closed due to the tariffs.
That meant his crop sat, and by the time he was able to sell, the price had dropped significantly.
“I had to stop harvest, wait for the grain elevators to reopen, and then start buying soybeans at a much lower price,” he said.
In his view, Trump’s trade wars with China, Mexico, and Canada cut farmers off from vital export markets.
Meanwhile, the administration gave billions in aid to Argentina. “He gave $40 billion to Argentina,” Boyd said.
“What happened to America’s farmers? To bail out Argentina for $40 billion, when they should have been helping farmers like myself stay on the farm?”
Call for Foreclosure Moratorium
Boyd is calling for a complete farm foreclosure moratorium, arguing that no farmer should lose their land because of failed trade policy.
“They shouldn’t be foreclosing on the farm because he completely lost his market due to the president’s tariffs. And that’s what happened here,” he said.
Input costs have also skyrocketed. Fertilizer, fuel, lime, and other essentials are more expensive, while the prices farmers can get for their crops have dropped.
“The president came in and took away the actual market for soybeans, the actual market for corn. And he messed things up with Canada, with us for fertilizer.”
Black Farmers Shut Out
Boyd also raised concerns about racial discrimination. As head of the National Black Farmers Association, he said Black farmers have not been given a seat at the table.
He wasn’t invited to the White House meeting with farmers about the aid package, and he said there were no Black farmers in the room.
“There’s nothing on my farm that looks like DI. My cows eat the same amount of hay as the white farmers do. My tractors burn the same amount of diesel fuel,” Boyd said.
“The problems I have are when I leave my farm. These companies have treated Black farmers differently… So we have a different set of problems that other farmers don’t face in this country.”
Boyd said federal agencies and private companies often treat Black farmers differently, even though they face the same challenges as their white counterparts.
He was also alarmed by what he described as preferential treatment given to white South African farmers being fast-tracked for citizenship and land, while African and other minority immigrants face deportation deadlines.
“They said they want to get away from the race thing, but they’re bringing in white farmers from South Africa, providing them with the homestead and the fast path to citizenship. And everybody that looks like me, they want to get them out of the country,” Boyd said.
A Call for Inclusion and Action
Boyd believes the only way to fix what’s broken is to ensure all farmers are represented when decisions are made.
“We’re farmers too,” he said. “And our farm is here, faced with all kinds of stuff.”
He pointed to lawsuits filed by conservative figures like Stephen Miller and others that blocked efforts under President Biden to offer $5 billion in debt relief to Black farmers. That, Boyd said, reflects a deeper history of exclusion.
Before ending the interview, Boyd took a moment to recognize the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, who he said have long fought for federal recognition.
“Congratulations to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina,” he said. “Happy holidays to all of the American farmers.”
For Boyd, the message is clear: America’s farmers are struggling, and until policies change and all voices are heard, many will continue to suffer the consequences of decisions made far from their fields.