‘I can hang on for a little bit, but it’s not looking good’: Farmers react to tariff war at London Farm Show

The London Farm Show got underway Wednesday, with American tariffs top of mind for many producers. CTV’ Sean Irvine was there.

American-initiated tariffs were on the minds of those attending the annual London Farm Show on Wednesday.

On both show floors, inside the Agriplex and the BMO Centre, farmers could be overheard discussing a potential 25 per cent hit on their livelihoods.

Woodstock-area farmer John VanDorp is among them. He has been a hog farmer for almost 50 years.

Until the tariff threat, VanDorp described himself as a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump.

But, with his business threatened, his viewpoint is shifting.

“That’s my sticking point, now,” he told CTV News London, “My pigs currently go to Ohio in the United States, so I will be losing 25 per cent of my paycheque at the border. That’s basically the profit of my business. So, I can hang on for a little bit, but it’s not looking good.”

The fear of tariffs was enough for most farm equipment dealers to stock up on American-made units prior to the deadline.

That is good news for farmers looking to buy, as price tags on in-stock machinery are not anticipated to climb immediately.

“As of right now, no. We’ll see what comes in the next couple of weeks here. But, no, as of right now, there’s no additional tariffs or increases,” said Phil Nykamp, an eastern Canada representative for Vermeer Equipment.

Still, most farmers suggest they will take a wait-and-see approach before making any purchases, including the Martene family. The Huron County cash croppers have their fingers crossed that the trade war will fizzle.

“The unknown of where it’s going to go in the future makes things difficult,” said Brian Martene.

“There’s no sense overexpanding yourself now, that’s for sure,” added his father, Earl Martene.

VanDorp perhaps summed it up best when he said, “It’s just too bad it’s coming down to this.”