- - Trump to talk 'affordability' in Iowa as fears of ‘ag crisis’ loom

Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines RegisterJanuary 27, 2026 at 11:32 AM

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As President Donald Trump heads to Iowa to speak about "affordability" and the economy, he will address a farm industry that's been battered by his tariffs and low prices.

Asked by national reporters what his message would be in Iowa, Trump immediately referenced Iowa’s farmers and how much they loved him.

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“The farmers have been very special to me, very successful, all three terms. I won it all the time,” he said on Jan. 22. “So, I think they're really happy, the farmers, with what's happening.”

Iowa is the largest U.S. producer of corn and the second-largest producer of soybeans. It is also the country’s largest producer of ethanol.

Farmers expect fourth straight year of losses

But farmers have faced major headwinds in the past year, with the costs of growing corn and soybeans higher, at times, than the price farmers earned for their crops.

Those losses were exacerbated by ongoing trade disputes instigated by the president as he levied tariffs on various U.S. trading partners.

U.S. farmers are forecasting a fourth consecutive year of operating losses in 2026.

Stu Swanson plants corn on his farm neat Galt, Tuesday, April 15, 2025.

But Trump touted the $12 billion his administration said it would send to farmers to help offset economic losses. Iowa farmers are slated to receive about $900 million through that package.

And he noted that China has fulfilled its pledge to purchase about 12 million tons of U.S. soybeans.

“I helped them out when we were going through the difficulty with China, which we saw,” Trump said. “China's buying a lot of product right now, as you know. But while we had that negotiation. And I gave them, you know, billions of dollars, and they were very happy.”

'America’s corn farmers are struggling'

At the same time, Iowa politicians and trade groups are losing patience with the Trump administration over a failure to approve the year-round sale of E15, or gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. And they're making a push ahead of Trump's visit to bring the issue to his attention.

Iowa Corn and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association published an open letter and took a full-page ad in the Des Moines Register the day of Trump's visit. The groups directly address the president and "urgently" ask for his assistance.

"America’s corn farmers are struggling and often sell corn well below the cost of production," they wrote. "As a result, the entire Iowa economy struggles. In fact, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank just listed Iowa as 50th in terms of economic growth. The best way to boost corn prices and create meaningful market demand is the immediate authorization of nationwide, year-round E15."

Production of ethanol absorbs about half of Iowa's corn crop, and industry leaders hope the higher standard would create more demand for Iowa corn.

The battle over biofuels

E15 is usually banned in summer because of concerns it increases smog, but administrations for both Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden have issued waivers to allow its summer sale temporarily.

Biofuels groups blasted a Jan. 22 move by Congress to omit a provision of a budget bill approving year-round E15 and instead to commission a study council.

All four of Iowa’s Republican U.S. House members ultimately voted for the bill, and 2026 gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra is slated to be a co-leader of the task force.

But many of Iowa's politicians expressed their disappointment with the administration’s lack of action.

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson speaks during a campaign event on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 in Adel.

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is running for the U.S. Senate, said that “anything short of delivering year-round E15 is a failure by Washington to stand up for Iowa farmers and biofuels producers after years of broken promises and platitudes."

Erin Branick, a spokesperson for POET Biofuels, said the group is “looking forward to Trump being in the corn belt and hearing about the necessity of year-round E15 as an immediate solution for farmers facing low commodity prices and an impending ag crisis.”

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Trump’s Iowa visit comes as fears of ‘impending ag crisis’ loom

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