Rep. Gabe Vasquez Demands Urgent Relief for All New Mexico Farmers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On December 8, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter urging Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to deliver timely, equitable relief to farmers across New Mexico who continue to face rising costs and uncertainty due to the administration’s tariff war. Nine of Rep. Vasquez’s colleagues joined him in sending this letter.

In the letter, the Members underscored that any relief funding tied to the administration’s farmer aid plan — meant to reverse the harm caused by the tariffs they themselves imposed — must deliver real support to New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers. They urged the USDA to ensure the assistance reaches the chile growers, pecan producers, dairies, and cattle operations that anchor southern New Mexico’s economy, rather than allowing the bulk of funding to flow to large corporations that don’t need extra funding.

“For months, the administration's disastrous tariff war has crushed farmers and producers with soaring prices and growing uncertainty,” said Vasquez. “Our real farmers — New Mexican growers and producers who bring millions into the state’s economy and keep our communities fed — deserve real, timely relief. Farm country is in crisis and needs our support, and that relief shouldn’t end up in the hands of the Wall Street billionaires buying up New Mexico’s farmland.”

The letter calls out that across New Mexico, families are paying more for everyday essentials, from groceries to household goods to utility bills. Producers across southern New Mexico are facing higher input costs for fertilizer, fuel, and feed, while the administration’s tariff war drives up expenses and uncertainty across the agriculture sector. As a result, farmers are paying more for what they need and getting less for what they grow. That’s not a fair deal for New Mexico. 

The full text of the letter is below and here.

Dear Madam Secretary:

Right now, the cost of everyday goods from ground beef and coffee to clothes and car parts are crushing Americans in every corner of our country and making it hard for them to make ends meet. The economic pain and hardship have hit family farmers — no matter their size, production type or location — particularly hard. The president's trade war has increased the cost of production, depressed the price of goods and commodities and eliminated the valuable market access our farmers depend on. Based upon public reporting, it is clear that USDA is planning to provide some direct relief to farmers, growers, producers and ranchers, and that the announcement of such a program could come this week.

Given the fact that Congress has been given no additional information on your plans, we, the undersigned Members of Congress who represent a wide variety of agriculture stakeholders and producers, encourage you to ensure that any farm relief package is fair and equitable. It should provide appropriate relief to all types of producers, of all sizes and in all locations.

The effects of the administration’s trade war know no bounds. It hurts specialty crop producers from coastal Maine to the Central Valley of California, large row crop farmers from Northern Minnesota to Southern Arkansas, dairies in New York, cattle ranches in New Mexico, and everywhere in between. In 2025, fertilizer increased by 25 percent and 37 percent, respectively, for specialty crop growers compared to just a few short years ago. In just the last 12 months, we have seen production costs for farmers increase by $12 billion. Soybeans may only achieve barely half of all the total purchases it normally receives from China, and we are already seeing signs that future orders may fall short of those promised in the latest trade deal struck between the administration and the Chinese Communist Party. Despite strong exports, dairy producers are having to discount their products. The entire farm economy is hurting, and it is critical that any relief you provide does not pick winners and losers.

As you finalize this program and speak to your cabinet colleagues, we impress upon you the importance of finding opportunities to provide relief and support for more than just our nation’s farmers. Main street businesses and manufacturers are struggling, and all hardworking Americans are confronting higher costs for everyday goods. Our most vulnerable neighbors are struggling to make ends meet and put food on their table due to the high cost of groceries. It is time we found a way to support them as well.

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