Republican Sens. Eric Schmitt and Markwayne Mullin urge the USDA to provide immediate assistance to Midwest farmers facing a historic drought season that could impact food prices.
Mental health experts say drought conditions and other issues unique to farmers like geographic isolation have sparked a mental health crisis.
After speaking to ranchers in Missouri, Sen. Schmitt claimed many are now faced with the decision to sell parts of their herds or risk watching them starve. "My staff and I have had discussions with farmers in the driest parts of Missouri, and they have told us that due to the drought and lack of available hay, they have been cutting down trees on their farm that the cattle are allowed to eat so they can have some type of forage," Schmitt said.
Mullin himself has had to sell 80% of the herd on his fourth-generation farm. The senator even sought advice from his 76-year-old father, who admitted to some "tough summers," but not witnessing a drought event like this."We've been losing farmers and ranchers for years because it's almost impossible to actually make a living like my family has in the past," Mullin said. "I'll tell you, I couldn't make a living on the place right now.
"Food prices are going to have to go up," Mullin warned. "Anything else that we're putting there from our sugars to many of our grains, including our corn, it's just supply and demand... out in the fields where hogs and chickens are more confined… they're still going to be affected because at that point, your grain crop costs are going to go up to feed them and your water price is going to go up, too.
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