Farmers in Illinois are concerned about the outcome of China-US trade frictions. The price of soybeans has plummeted in recent months. And many are concerned, that if the situation continues in the next few years, some may give up farming altogether. Dan Williams reports.

Harvest time in Fairmount, Illinois. Lynn Rohrscheib is a 9th generation farmer. She and her family, farm some 3,000 hectares. 60% of that is soybeans. As the combine harvesters plow through the fields, an app reveals the likely yield.

"I can go in and do what they call a remote view and see what exactly my combine operator is doing right this second."

But Lynn is deeply concerned. The price of soybeans has plummeted in recent months. It follows the Trump administration's decision to impose tariffs on China, that was then followed by China imposing retaliatory tariffs on a range of U.S. items including soybeans.

LYNN ROHRSCHEIB ILLINOIS FARMER "The way the commodity prices are right now, it is a kind of catch and miss game to try and figure out how much of a loss we could potentially take or if we go this way, so it weighs really hard on us now. Trying to figure out which way is the best avenue."

We visited Michele Aavang's farm in January before seeding had begun. She was concerned about the possible tariffs then.

But she is even more worried now that harvest time is here and the situation has still not been resolved.

MICHELE AAVANG ILLINOIS FARMER 'Well, of course, the tariffs put in place, we've lost a huge share of the market for our soybeans and many of our other agricultural products. Our farm income is down 50% from where it was five years ago. We are also seeing farmers take on huge amounts of debt to try and get through this downturn and of course we are seeing higher bankruptcy and increased farmer suicide."

Illinois farmers have much to lose. Last year, China imported almost 60% of all U.S. soybeans exports, with the state of Illinois the largest producer.

DAN WILLIAMS FAIRMOUNT, ILLINOIS "The harvest period in this part of Illinois has been hit by bad weather in recent weeks. Despite that, most farmers here are expecting a decent yield. And although the focus is on this year's harvest, for many farmers attention is already turning to the future."

The White House has pledged to provide up to twelve billion dollars in aid to farmers impacted by the trade tensions. But Rohrscheib doesn't see that as a solution.

LYNN ROHRSCHEIB ILLINOIS FARMER "If this keeps going on for the next two years three years like some people have projected, it is going to tremendously change the way the farming industry and agriculture is. There's going to be a lot of people who aren't going to be farming anymore. That's just not a good situation for anybody in this country."

The mesmerizing machinery of a combine harvester is a thing to behold. This year promises to provide a bumper crop for Illinois farmers. But for many, the outlook remains bleak. Dan Williams, CGTN, Fairmount, Illinois.