Farmers Continue To Go Out Of Business, IFBF Head Warns

The soft farm economy, which has been a struggle for many commodities for two-plus years, continues to wear on producers in a number of ways. Idaho Farm Bureau Executive Director Bryan Searle said the high input costs, low commodity prices, and months of trade uncertainty have led to more than just a smaller paycheck for farmers.

“The number of farms that continue to go out of business across this state and this nation is astounding," Searle said. "That Ag land is not coming out of production, a lot of it still remaining in Ag land, but we're just losing farmers. They can't pay the bills. That frustrating when it has nothing to do, per say, with their operation and it has more to do with those markets and political atmosphere that just affects them.”

Searle noted it’s important for the Ag community to educate consumers, politicians and others why it’s important for local farms to stay open and operational. For more from Searle on how family farms closing their doors will impact the American economy and way of life as a whole, listen to our entire conversation:

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