War, price hike, and China's preference for Brazil exacerbate crisis of U.S. soybean producers

U.S. soybean producers face losses from high costs and low prices, exacerbated by war and tariffs. China reduced purchases of American soybeans after tariffs, favoring Brazil as the main supplier. Conflict in Iran raised fuel and fertilizer prices, further increasing farmers' expenses. Research shows that nearly half of the producers report financial deterioration, with an increase in bankruptcies and uncertainties in the sector. Soybean producer Doug Bartek, 60, is anxious for the start of the spring harvest, listing the numerous problems affecting his family's livelihood on his 2,000-acre farm near Wahoo, Nebraska, in the United States. According to Bartek, who also chairs the Nebraska Soybean Association, the high costs of fuel, machinery, and fertilizers have weighed on the budget, a situation worsened by the conflict in Iran. Moreover, the tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration, the feeling that suppliers charge excessive prices, and the low price of soybeans, a ...