BRIMFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) — Illinois lawmakers are worried about soybean farmers after China has not bought a single grain from the U.S., according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
China makes up the majority of Illinois soybean sales, as the country’s 1.4 billion people use the product for its high protein and fat.
Even with all the other soybean-buying nations combined, they wouldn’t make up for the gap China could leave if a deal isn’t made, according to the director of IDOA.
However, not all farmers share the same concern. Rob Asbell has worked on his farm for 25 years, that’s been in his family since 1854. He’s had no problem selling his soybeans.
“In a free market like this, we can sell our soybeans any day we want at any time that we want,” he said. “We can also put them into an elevator or into a storage bin and hold them for months, if not years, if we’d like to, which I don’t recommend.”
Asbell also showed us an app he’s on that predicts soybean market prices throughout the year. Current predictions show that soybean prices will remain steady all the way up to November 2028.
Regardless, the soybean fight has become the background of a political fight, with Illinois lawmakers criticizing the Trump administration over its trade policy.
China has gone to other countries to buy its soybeans. Namely, South American nations like Brazil and Argentina. The latter, which shortly after receiving a $20 billion loan from the U.S. government, cut its soybean export tax to get a deal with China.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who’s running for the open Illinois Senate seat, said if farmers suffer, it’s because of Trump.
“This is a manmade calamity,” he said. “This is not a natural disaster. This was predictable and this is what happens when you basically levy tariffs on everything from everywhere, which is what Donald Trump has done.”
Gov. JB Pritzker has also come out in support of Illinois farmers against the Trump administration.
In an X post, Pritzker said, “Trump’s tariffs are wreaking havoc on our farmers and agricultural economy — raising fertilizer costs, shutting off markets, and driving down farm incomes.”
On a Facebook livestream, Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Darren Bailey, who’s also a soybean farmer, said “The farm economy is stressed. [President Trump] is the only person dealing with and trying to find a solution.”
Trump, in a recent press conference, said he is potentially considering a bailout for farmers. Asbell said he believes the bailout isn’t a good decision.
“I really don’t want government support,” he said. “I want to be more or less independent and do what I can do with my skill set.”
WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.
