Farm Bill
In addition to major tax provisions, the bill enhances the current safety net, providing $66 billion in new spending for farm programs.
The groups are urging the administration to “formally include farmers, ranchers and food producers in a collaborative stakeholder process.” An action report — a follow-up to the MAHA report released in May — is due by August 12.
The move would increase biomass-based diesel requirements, from 3.35 billion gallons in 2025 to 5.61 billion gallons in 2026, supporting American row-crop growers in the process.
While the 1,000-page bill includes spending increases for agriculture-facing programs by $56.6 billion over the next decade, there’s one major priority that didn’t make it into the House’s version.
The massive bill faced two major hurdles, passing out of both the House Agriculture and House Ways and Means Committees. While the legislation is filled with positive tax provisions for farmers, potential cuts to SNAP are creating controversy.
The April Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found most agricultural economists think it could be 2026 before we see Congress final pass a new bill. One reason why is the fact Congress passed $10 billion in ECAP payments late last year.
While 56% of farmers say they believe the ongoing trade disputes with China and other countries will hurt them financially this year, 70% say they believe the U.S. and agriculture specifically will benefit in the long-term.
On her list of issues to tackle, says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, is deciding if farmers will need another round of assistance payments later this year and if USDA headquarters should be relocated.
California’s Proposition 12 has devastated family farms, fueled market consolidation and increased food costs. Legislators brought forward The Food Security and Farm Protection Act to protect farmers and consumers from “burdensome government overreach.”
Cheap cotton prices and dwindling demand are just part of the problem. Input costs have climbed and there’s no safety net to be found from a new farm bill. One Georgia farmer says the current farm bill is irrelevant and worthless, and if a new one doesn’t get passed this year, the cotton industry is doomed.