Senate Ag Committee
Farmers need to be prepared to pay substantially more for their coverage in 2026, unless Congress acts now to address the impending price surge.
With Congress passing another extension, some economists suggest a new reality may be setting in: the era of comprehensive Farm Bills could be ending, replaced by a piecemeal approach in Washington.
The Senate and House each have their own Committee proposals for President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. There are some key differences in each that could impact farmers and ranchers.
The CR includes nearly $110 billion in disaster and farmer aid, which includes $10 billion in farmer aid and $21 billion ag disaster aid. $2 billion of that disaster aid is specifically for livestock producers. The measure also includes a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, which builds on the proposal Stabenow released in May, includes $39 billion in new resources “to keep farmers farming, families fed and rural communities strong.”
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) wins Majority Leader race. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was eliminated on the first ballot. And Thune beat Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) 29-24 on the second ballot.
John Newton, former Senate Ag Committee economist and now executive head at Terrain, highlights three priorities and a timeframe for a final farm bill.
The farm bill finally saw some movement in Washington last month, but the Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found most economists don’t think it will be passed this year, with some even saying it could be as late as 2026.
The House Ag Committee on Thursday will mark up the House farm bill. House Ag Chair GT Thompson told AgriTalk the panel will have the votes to clear the panel, but he has yet to receive any firm Democratic support.
Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow, (D-Mich.) says there will be no new funding for the 2023 farm bill. However, Stabenow stressed she will not allow a cut in conservation funding.
Titled the “Seeding Rural Resilience Act,” the bill’s aim is to curb the rising rate of farmer suicides in America.
Some long-time Washington contacts still give the odds of a farm bill this year at only 15%.