Some farmers may not survive policy changes in D.C.

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Rapidly changing policies in Washington could have a severe impact on farming in Illinois.

“If our markets die down, prices go down and profitability goes down some of these farmers won’t be able to survive,” Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois, told WAND News. “The farmers are usually pretty quiet about it. But I think they’re very worried as to what their profits are going to be in the coming years.”

Durbin pointed to administration policies involving tariffs and cutting funding for programs like USAID. A University of Illinois Soybean Innovation Lab said it will cease operations April 15 due to USAID cuts. USAID addresses hunger around the world.

“A place like the University of Illinois which serves our state so well, serves our country but has an international presence, when you cutback on USAID a soybean project in Champaign-Urbana ends up being important for the future of countries around the world,” Durbin stated.