March 28, 2024

Agri-Pulse poll: Strong support for Trump in farm country

WASHINGTON — Farmers and ranchers’ support for President Donald Trump has grown despite sluggish exports and their own worries about their financial condition as the economic slowdown triggered by the COVID-19 has developed, according to the latest Agri-Pulse poll of U.S. farmers and ranchers.

Some 72% of producers nationwide who were surveyed from Feb. 19 through March 13 said they were willing to support Trump’s reelection, up from 69% during the fall of 2018 and 45% in the spring of 2018.

Some 21% of those surveyed for the latest poll opposed Trump’s reelection. The remaining 7% don’t know how they’ll vote or refused to say.

At the same time, nearly two-thirds of the farmers surveyed said they had at least some concerns about their ability to repay loans, and 79% said it was important that farmers receive another round of Market Facilitation Program payments this year; 46% of the producers actually said it was “very important” that farmers receive additional MFP payments.