【2012 Archives】

Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst struggled with an incredibly Midwest gotcha question: She couldn't correctly state the price of soybeans.

A clip of a debate between Ernst012 Archivesher Democratic challenger, Theresa Greenfield, went viral after the incumbent seemingly struggled to rattle off crop prices.

Moderator Ron Steele first asked Greenfield the breakeven price price for corn in Iowa.

"Well, a bushel of corn is going for about $3.68, today, $3.69, and breakeven really just depends on the amount of debt someone has," Greenfield responded, correctly. "I suspect there are farmers that are breaking even at that price. However if their yields are down 50 percent, that's certainly not going to cover it."

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Steele asked Ernst for the breakeven price on soy beans, but the senator instead talked about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, the Des Moines Registernoted. Steele followed up.

"I might have missed it, I don't think you answered my question: What's the breakeven price for soybeans in Iowa? You grew up on a farm, you should know this," Steele said.

"I think you had asked about corn," Ernst said.

"I asked hercorn," Steele followed up.

"It depends what the inputs are but probably about $5.50," Ernst said, seemingly still talking about corn even though she was repeatedly asked about soybeans.

"Well, you're a couple dollars off I think here, because it's $10.05," Steele said.

Folks online really responded to the very Iowa line of questioning.

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Ernst once coasted into the Senate in 2014 and was once a leading right-wing figure. But she is locked in a tight race with Greenfield in 2020, trailing by as many as 5 percentage points in recent polls.

Soybeans and corn, and their respective prices, are incredibly important to Iowan farmers. President Trump's trade wars with China have severely impacted soybean farmers, who have had to navigate through uncertain waters regarding whether China would actually follow through on very optimistic purchase commitments set by the Trump administration. Iowa corn farmers, meanwhile, have had to deal with Trump's EPA allowing oil companies to drive down demand for ethanol and biodiesel.

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