China has placed retaliatory tariffs on soya beans, causing a fall in exportsALAMY

More than 230 farms in the Midwest have been pushed into bankruptcy and farm debts have soared to their highest level in 35 years amid plunging commodity prices and fallout from President Trump's trade war with China.

The squeeze on farmers has intensified after Mr Trump imposed tariffs to bring President Xi to the negotiating table. China put retaliatory tariffs on US soya beans, causing a dramatic fall in exports. Farm debt reached $409.5 billion last year, the highest level since the sector crisis of the early 1980s.

Four in five farmers voted for Mr Trump in 2016 but surveys have shown that the support is waning. A Farm Journal poll during the midterm elections in November put support among farmers for the president at…