National Black Farmers Association President Reacts to Trump's Comments on Migrant Farm Labor

Impact of Trump's Policies on Farmers

• 🚜 John Boyd Jr., President of the National Black Farmers Association, describes the current situation for American farmers as rough, with bankruptcies on the rise.
• 📉 Farmers are facing dramatically lower prices for corn, wheat, and soybeans due to market plunges, exacerbated by the president's frequent tariff announcements.
• ⚠️ The current period is described as a state of emergency for American farmers, with input costs per acre being the highest in decades.

Immigration Policies and Farm Labor

• 🚫 Boyd criticizes the president's immigration policies, noting that migrant workers were previously held up and treated poorly.
• 🤝 He argues that these workers are hard-working individuals performing essential farm labor that many in the US do not want to do, and that they are not criminals.
• 🗣️ Boyd refutes Trump's claim that certain populations are 'naturally' suited for farm work, calling such comments inhumane and divisive.

Economic Consequences of Tariffs

• 📈 The impact of tariffs on China has led to reduced soybean sales to that country, with markets never fully recovering.
• 🌽 Boyd recalls selling soybeans for $16.80 a bushel before tariffs, which then plummeted to $8 a bushel, with no market recovery.
• 🌾 The lack of new market creation for American farmers, coupled with high input costs and low grain prices, makes it difficult to sustain farms.

Historical Parallels and Future Outlook

• ⚖️ Boyd draws parallels between current treatment of migrant workers and the exploitative practices of Jim Crow era sharecroppers.
• 📉 He warns that farmers in states that overwhelmingly voted for the president will suffer the most due to poor grain prices and high costs.
• ⏳ Boyd believes the president is on the wrong side of history with his approach to human beings and immigration policy.