Iowa farmers will receive a reported $767 million from President Donald Trump’s $16 billion trade assistance program.

The payments will be made due to the unresolved trade issues with China. Iowa Soybean Association President and Rippey-area farmer Tim Bardole says the payments are a sore subject and he doesn’t like receiving funds from the federal government. He adds, he would rather make money from the market, but he realizes the state of the current agriculture industry.

“Just because I don’t like the payment or have to have it, it is justified. Just because of the way the market is and what has happened to the soybean industry because of it. So the payment was very welcomed to farmers. I think ag loan officers are even more excited about having the payment because it’s assuring the farmers can make payments that they need to make here late fall (and) early winter.”

Bardole believes the payments do affect the farmer’s bottom line. However, Bardole says the payments will not make up the difference in bushels per acre for soybean farmers. He explains that these issues also affect the corn industry.

“You couldn’t make money growing soybeans, there was a lot more acres of corn planted and harvested this fall, which has hurt the corn market. It’s kind of one thing falls into another. There has been a lot of harm done to the finances of agriculture.”

Bardole says the payments won’t fix the issues that farmers are facing, but he thinks the payments will help those farmers struggling to continue farming and hoping for a better year in 2020.