The Washington Post reports:

The possible end of the Iran war will not cure the drought that has stunted the wheat crop. It won’t secure soybean export orders caught in the U.S.-China trade war. And it will do nothing to promote competition in agriculture, which would help farmers like Jeff Tyson earn a living.

Like other growers, Tyson, 55, has seen costs outrun sales this year as the rain grew scarce and government policies added to his burdens.

Now, the U.S.-Iran agreement to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz and pursue a lasting peace offers some relief to farmers who have seen their fuel and fertilizer bills soar because of combat in the Persian Gulf. Diesel has not been cheaper since mid-March. Urea fertilizer in recent days sold for less than it did before the fighting began.

But the financial damage has been done.

President Donald Trump’s February decision to join Israel in attacking Iran aggravated the farm economy’s struggles. Soybean growers, who were already suffering from the president’s tariffs, are expected to lose money in 2026 for the fourth straight year.

“There’s no joy left in this farm. When you work 16-hour days and get to the end of the year, and you have to borrow money to pay your taxes, there’s no fun in it. It’s just not worth it anymore,” said Tyson, a fourth-generation farmer, who long ago advised his daughters to look elsewhere for a good life.

Tough times on the farm are souring some of the president’s most loyal supporters little more than four months before November’s congressional elections. Rural voters backed Trump’s economic policies by a 45 percent to 43 percent margin early last year but now disapprove of them 61 percent to 31 percent, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll released this month. [Continue reading…]