Mar 19, 2019 - Economy & Business

Midwest farmers fear livestock losses from flooding

 A road is covered with floodwater from the Pecatonica River

A road is covered with floodwater from the Pecatonica River in Freeport, Illinois. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

During a difficult year for U.S. agriculture amid President Trump's trade war with China, record-breaking floods in the Midwest are causing farmers to lose their livestock en masse, further putting their livelihoods at risk, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Lessened demand due to Trump's trade policies and greater international competition in agriculture already pushed Farm Belt bankruptcies last year to the highest level in a decade. Now, the floods across the Midwest could cause a $400 million hit to the state's livestock sector as farmers in the region are cut off from their cattle herds — and the supplies necessary to care for them.

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