Iowa farmers call for building trade ties with handshakes, not tariffs

Xinhua2025-06-09 20:22

　　Randy Renze speaks in an interview with Xinhua in West Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, on May 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)

　　"There was a lot of disruption," he said. "Tariffs were imposed without much planning. Markets were lost. Costs rose. Relationships strained."

　　By Yang Shilong, Li Xirui, Liu Yanan

　　MANNING, United States, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Renze family's fleet stretches from six-monitor John Deere tractors to a pristine 1929 Ford Model A, a symbol of a time when farming was hands-on, not high-tech.

　　At 97, Melvin Renze, the family patriarch, still drives his Ford down Main Street to Deb's Corner Café. On other days, he wanders into the fields, running his fingers through the soil and offering advice to his sons: "You ought to do this, or that!"

　　"I'm busy all the time," he said. "I was born a farmer. It's in my blood. If I had a do-over, I'd do exactly the same. I like farming. I did like farming."

　　The Renzes have farmed in western Iowa for generations, managing thousands of acres of farmland and a significant number of livestock. Melvin's son, Scott, stays in the field, dealing with unpredictable markets, precision technology and the ripple effects of U.S.-China trade friction. His brother, Randy, took a different path, branching into international agribusiness.

　　Despite the support of advanced technologies, such as GPS-guided tractors, cloud-connected feeding systems and data-informed crop decisions, their concerns revolve around cost, policy consistency and international cooperation.

　　People shop at a Walmart store in Rosemead, California, the United States, on May 15, 2025. (Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua)

　　FLICKER OF RELIEF

　　A temporary 90-day suspension of tariffs between the United States and China in May brought a flicker of relief. But Randy, who spent 34 years navigating global trade standards at leading tractor maker John Deere, sees a more complicated picture.

　　"When tariffs were imposed the first time, it cost John Deere. It cost the American farmer," he told Xinhua in a recent interview. "Those soybean markets we lost, someone else filled."

　　Scott felt the impact firsthand. "By spring, we've already spent hundreds of thousands on seed, fertilizer and chemicals," he said. "No policy from Washington is going to stop us short-term. But next year? We'll have to rethink everything."

　　Noting that a single breakdown can cost tens of thousands of dollars, Scott said: "With tight margins, even a 10-percent drop in prices can shake everything (up) -- land payments, equipment loans and family income."

　　Today, most of their corn heads to nearby ethanol plants; some goes to livestock feed; the rest is exported. However, tariffs are rebalancing that mix, Scott said. China was once the largest buyer, but now "I can't tell you the amount. We're constantly renegotiating," he added.

　　Technology shapes every aspect of their operation. The Renzes manage a digital command center and use apps to track weather, monitor soil, mix cattle feed and hedge commodity prices. "We're not just farmers anymore. We're managers, marketers, engineers," said Scott.

　　Still, it's not necessarily easier. "Physically, sure. It's less labor. But mentally, it's exhausting. You're troubleshooting tech, watching markets, managing risks every day," he added.