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Illinois Ag Director: Aid offers temporary relief, market access offers sustainability

The director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture says Monday’s announced $11 billion bridge payment helps farmers, but it’s not a long-term solution.

“Anything helps, but I don’t believe that this is a substantial situation that’s really going to carry farmers out.”

Jerry Costello says producers need stable trade relations.

“Farmers want trade, not aid.”  He says, “One of the things that we’re going to have to do is work on finding new markets. We’ve got to work on our relationships. We’re in a global marketplace when it comes to agriculture.”

He tells Brownfield the U.S. is still trying to regain market share lost the last time trade disruption payments were issued to farmers.

“In 2016, 62% of our soybeans in the U.S. went to China.”  He says, “In 2018, that number was 18%, so a huge loss. In 2023, we were back up to 55%, so there was still a net loss of 7%.”

Costello says increased South American competition makes it even harder for American farmers to regain lost markets.

Brownfield spoke with Costello at the 2025 Illinois Farm Bureau annual meeting in Chicago.

AUDIO: Jerry Costello – Illinois Director of Agriculture