Arizona farmers still waiting on federal aid amid tariffs, rising costs

Arizona farmers dealing with tariffs, higher costs

Arizona farmers have been feeling the pressure of late, with the most recent challenge being fertilizer prices, which is impacted by the ongoing Iran conflict. FOX 10's Brian Webb reports.

PHOENIX - Arizona farmers have been feeling the pressure, with the most recent challenge being fertilizer prices, which has been affected by the ongoing war in Iran.

Big picture view:

There are some 16,000 farms in Arizona, supporting 126,000 jobs and producing $30 billion in economic activity.

However, the state's farmers have been hit hard by the Trump administration, from tariffs and trade policies to the war in Iran raising prices on fuel and fertilizer.

President Trump announced financial aid for farmers, to the tune of $12 billion, in December. Farmer Nancy Caywood said she hasn’t seen a check, and she said every day is an uphill battle. 

"Things just go up every day. It seems like something is going up, and we use nitrogen," said Caywood.

It’s also not just man-made problems, but Mother Nature's persistent drought. After a while, the unthinkable starts to take root: maybe selling the farm after five generations.

"You wake up in the night, just with this horrible stomachache. What are we gonna do, and then you see the worry lines on your son's face and do you think he can’t keep doing this either?" Caywood said.

Dig deeper:

Amid a sea of cowboy hats seated on the White House lawn is Arizona farmer John Boelts. He wasn’t wearing one.

"Oh my cowboy hat wearing in days I gave them up in high school," said Arizona Farm Bureau Federation President John Boelts.

During the event, President Donald Trump talked about making more fuels from agricultural products, better loan guarantees and estate tax rules, and easing regulations on farm equipment.

"Want to protect the environment, want to do the right thing by our planet, but some of these regulations were just nuts," Boelts said.

Most or all of the president's plans would require Congress to pass laws, but it takes more than promises to make ends meet, and U.S. agriculture must dig out of the hole it finds itself in.

"Today, 98% of the avocados consumed in the United States come from Mexico. That’s not a win for us. Well, we may enjoy the guacamole. It’s certainly not good giving those dollars away, so we need to bring back the strength of America. Strengthen the United States, and it comes from agriculture," Boelts said.