The agricultural community of Arizona is grappling with the impact of Chinese tariffs on one of its key exports: alfalfa hay. ABC15 reports that the state exports over $100 million worth of this cattle feed internationally each year. However, the tariff impositions have significantly slowed down operations for local farmers like Shannon Schulz, who have historically relied on the Chinese market for their businesses.
Schulz, who has farmed for decades in Harquahala Valley, illustrates the tariffs' toll on his livelihood. As stated in his interview with ABC15, "Usually, this warehouse is full of hay. It’s not right now because business is just slow." The tariffs totaling about 66% have edged out American alfalfa from the Chinese marketplace, leading buyers to resort to other countries for supply.
According to a Ground News article, the pivot of Chinese dairy farms to African and European alfalfa suppliers has left Arizona farmers with uncertain futures. Schulz, who voted for President Donald Trump and supported the tariff plan with the hope of boosting U.S. manufacturing and trade, acknowledges the immediate difficulty, saying, "It could break us. It could break a lot of farmers."
In the face of this adversity, with about half of his business compromised overnight, Schulz is up against the clock. He told ABC15, "The question I have is, do we need them more or do they need us more? We don’t know. We got to have some answers here very quickly." While farmers like Schulz await further government action, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has indicated that the administration is considering providing additional assistance, though no concrete measures have been publicly confirmed.
