WAHOO, Neb. (KMTV) — Reporter Molly Hudson went to Wahoo where one farmer is gearing up to plant 700 acres of soybeans as China imposes tariffs on American goods, in response to President Trump's tariffs.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's a family operation here in Wahoo.
"It just makes you smile that everybody is doing their job and getting something done," said Doug Bartek, a third-generation farmer.
He says over the last 40-plus years, the biggest challenge has been price increases.
"Whether it's land taxes, fertilizers, seed corn, seed beans—it’s just, it's getting harder and harder all the time to turn a profit," Bartek said.
This is nothing new. In 2018, when China imposed tariffs on soybeans, he still planted his crop but tried not to take on any other costs. He plans to do the same this time.
Molly asked, "What did you have to do then to balance, did you just kind of wait and see what happened? What was it like then?"
Doug replied, "You know, Molly, we are generally pretty conservative, at least in our operation. Again, we just kind of wait the storm out; we don't make any extravagant purchases and I guess we figure out a way to get around it or just work our way through it, but I guess it just depends on how long it’s going to take."
Trump ally Pete Ricketts said Wednesday that he can't predict how long it will take for the benefits of tariffs to arrive.
"The negotiations will take as much time as they need to take to be able to get those all hammered out," Bartek said.
China is the biggest importer of soybeans, while the U.S. is the number two soybean exporter, behind Brazil.
The big story is playing out right here in Nebraska.
While Doug has decades of experience in the industry, he's concerned about the farmers just getting started, like his son.
"He just purchased a piece of ground a few years ago, and right now the numbers just aren't working," Bartek said.
For now, he's hoping the back-and-forth with China is short-lived.
"So, like I said, hopefully just be patient, and God willing, things will turn around," Bartek said.
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