Farming in America has never been so expensive. Soaring energy costs also mean that farmers are losing money hand over fist running tractors and sprayers. Pricier agricultural inputs like fertilizers and chemicals are putting the squeeze on their margins too.
Months ahead of the US midterm elections, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law - part of which was aimed at helping farmers weather the current economic crisis and build resiliency into the climate change-sensitive sector. The bill earmarks $20 billion to support climate-smart agricultural practices for farmers. It also provides 3.1 billion for USDA to help farmers struggling with their operations.
Despite the promise to farmers, many of them remain reliably Republican in this electoral race. Many hold the view that especially Biden’s policy stances led to the price crisis in the first place. This story, filmed in cooperation with Dakote News Now, takes us to South Dakota, an important farming state. The sector is worth 32 billion dollars to South Dakota’s economy, or nearly a third of the state’s total economic output.