Sacramento Valley farmers say tariffs are cutting profits and wasting crops
Troubled by tariffs, some Sacramento Valley farmers and ranchers say their profits are plummeting due to new federal trade policies.
From dairy and beef cattle to pears and poultry, the farming industry generates more than $500 million each year in Sacramento County.
While valley farmers are used to dealing with droughts and invasive pests, there's now a growing concern over politics impacting their profits.
"Our margins are so slim that we can't afford to lose any markets," said Ken Oneto, director of the Sacramento County Farm Bureau.
Farmers and ranchers are now taking their concerns to Congressman Ami Bera, who met with them at the Sacramento County Farm Bureau.
"We did have a heated conversation," Bera said. "This is really uncertain times."
Wine grapes have traditionally been Sacramento County's top crop, but now some growers say that's in jeopardy due to tariffs and boycotts.
"You don't see a bottle of California wine in Canadian stores, and they were 40% of our exports," Oneto said.
Last year, Sacramento County wine sales totaled more than $167 million. But profits are declining, and this year, many growers have left their grapes to rot on the vine.
Other agricultural products are also going unharvested.
"It's horrible that crops would go to waste when so many American families are struggling to put food on their table," Bera said.
A lack of farm labor is also a concern, due to immigration changes.
"You can't be all immigration or no immigration," Bera said. "It's got to be in the middle here."
Bera said local farmers have a lot to lose if tariffs continue.
"If we get in a trade war, we've seen it with China, the first place they go is to go after farmers," he said.
Bera added that agricultural problems ultimately impact all consumers.
"I hear from folks every day that they're going to the grocery store, they're spending the same amount of money, but now they've only got a have a bag of groceries," Bera said.
The congressman says one of his top priorities is passing a new farm bill, which has been tied up in Congress and could provide some relief to local farmers struggling with declining profits.