Our farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our economy. Unfortunately, under the Biden-Harris administration, farmers, ranchers and rural America have been left out. As a fifth-generation Kansan farm kid now serving in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, the very idea of ​​a candidate who does not understand the value of agriculture is unfit to hold the nuclear codes. Food security is national security, and we need a leader in the White House who realizes the importance of agriculture, trade deals, and the “art of the deal” that gives America the upper hand .

For four years, the Biden-Harris administration has declared war on American agriculture. Their reckless policies have plunged net farm income to its lowest level in decades. Biden and Harris’ latest U.S. energy policies and soaring inflation have caused input costs to skyrocket, devastating our farmers’ bottom lines. The prices of diesel and nitrogen fertilizers, which rely on natural gas, have become unaffordable.

Interest rates have climbed under Biden-Harris. Average operating loan rates for Kansas farmers with good credit have increased from 2 percent has 9 percent– an increase of 7 percentage points since President Trump left office. This resulted in an average of $70,000 in additional costs to farmers’ bottom lines. The fact is that for four years, our farmers have been left behind by this administration, even though they have had to live with the consequences of their policy failures.

While the Trump administration removed harmful regulations to empower farmers, Biden expanded them, stifling innovation and stifling our agricultural sectors. Biden’s veto of a bipartisan effort to reverse burdensome U.S. water regulations (WOTUS) only adds insult to injury. Trump’s approach opened federal lands to grazing, while Biden’s policies took more land out of production, exacerbating the challenges facing farmers.

In trade terms, Trump opened vital markets in Japan, South Korea, Canada, China and Mexico through agreements like the USMCA. These measures not only increased U.S. exports, but also ensured stable access to foreign markets for American farmers. In contrast, the Biden administration has not attempted to negotiate meaningful new trade deals, abandoning rural America and leaving it vulnerable.

The Biden-Harris administration’s neglect also extends to biofuels. Under Trump, farmers enjoyed year-round access to E15, benefiting both the environment and the rural economy. Today, the lack of support for biofuels is a glaring oversight, blocking an industry that not only reduces carbon emissions but also supports rural jobs.

Simply put, the Biden-Harris policies restrict land use, hamper energy production, drown our producers in regulations, and impose crushing interest rates, creating a ripple effect that is devastating our communities and making skyrocketing food prices.

This is why we must change course in November. Strong agricultural policies are not only vital for farmers: they are essential for the economy as a whole and for the future of our country. Protecting agriculture means preserving our way of life, supporting communities, and ensuring food security for all citizens, which is perhaps most important and most often overlooked by the Vice President. Kamala Harristhe role agriculture plays in our national security.

To revitalize rural America, we need a leader in the White House who prioritizes agricultural production and strongly opposes policies that harm the very people who humbly feed the world. Now is the time to act; we cannot afford another chapter of the latest Biden-Harris American farm agenda that will destroy rural America as we know it.

As agriculture evolves, so does rural America, and so does America’s heartbeat. While Harris’ policies are decimating rural America, Trump has a proven track record of fighting for our agricultural producers. The stark contrast between the two administrations’ policies underscores the need for change. That’s why, when it comes to who supports farm country, the answer couldn’t be clearer: It’s Donald J. Trump.

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, MD, R-Kansas serves in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.