Food & Farming

Farmers, politicians and agriculture experts are raising alarm about the impact of potential tariffs on Canadian potash, a key mineral needed for fertilizer.

Our sister station WCBU spoke to several employees impacted by job cuts at the Peoria Ag Lab, the largest federal employer in Greater Peoria. “It is a slap in the face to be treated this way," one of them said.

A federal freeze on certain USDA programs has held up billions of dollars for conservation and caused layoffs at a nonprofit in Iowa that supports soil and water quality.

Retaliatory tariffs by China could hurt McLean County more than most counties in the U.S. and more than all but one other county in Illinois.

The state ranks fifth in the country for agricultural product exports worth $10.6 billion, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

The Soybean Innovation Lab based at the University of Illinois has laid off 30 employees and expects to shut down in the spring if funding isn't restored. Lab leaders at other Land Grant universities say they have avoided layoffs, but that could change.

The ag sector is showing signs of relief, following the pause on U.S. tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump against Canada and Mexico — though other indicators cause concern.

Foreign investors owned about 46 million acres of U.S. farmland in 2023 — which is less than 4% of all American farmland, according to a recent report. The data comes as more states consider limiting foreign ownership of agricultural land.

The one-time payments could offer short-term support as many farmers grapple with less income and extreme weather.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen says he's frustrated it's taken lawmakers so long to come with a plan to fund the government into the new year, but the Quad Cities Democrat says there are several parts of the stop-gap budget bill he supports.

Incoming president Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from countries such as China, Mexico and Canada. Many economists and commodity groups say these import taxes could boomerang and harm U.S. agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation has backed off a deadline to eject the Illinois Farm Bureau from the federation. That deadline would have been this coming Friday.