The Effect Of Tariffs On Farming Families

A tanker truck navigates a snow-dusted rural road, with bare trees lining the path and a portable toilet standing near the roadside. Courtesy: Lauryn Betts

Listen to the full audio storyBy. Lauryn Betts

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Tariffs continue to shape the outlook for Kansas farmers as they head into a new season of

planning and production. While global trade policies often feel distant, their effects are hitting

close to home: higher input costs, tighter profit margins, and uncertainty about where crops will

end up once they leave the field.

Farmers say tariffs can make it more expensive to access equipment, fertilizer, and other

essentials, while also complicating relationships with overseas buyers. Some growers have seen

demand shift or prices fluctuate as international partners look elsewhere for cheaper imports.

Professor Blake Gray notes that even small changes in trade policy can ripple through rural

communities. For many family farms, those ripples have become part of everyday

decision-making—shaping how they operate their businesses and influencing what they can

afford in their daily lives.

Tariff-related price changes and trade disruptions have become a routine part of the agricultural

economy, requiring farmers to navigate markets that fluctuate based on policy as much as on

supply and demand.

As national discussions on trade continue, the long-term impact of tariffs on production costs, export opportunities, and rural economies remains a critical issue for states like Kansas, where agriculture plays a central role.