By Spencer Tuma, Missouri Farm Bureau’s Director of National Legislative AffairsJEFFERSON CITY – We’re three months into the new year, and soon enough, planters will start firing up to put in this year’s crop. The passage of time also means the new Congress is gearing up to work with the incoming Administration to set priorities for the next year. For agriculture, this includes some new priorities, but also some unfinished business, as lawmakers have yet to approve a new farm bill despite the 2018 farm bill being up for reauthorization since 2023. Ensuring a strong safety net for farmers and ranchers in times of economic downturns is a key task that Congress must work through and bring to the finish line this year. Farmers and ranchers need adequate program options to manage the various risks that are associated with farming, and Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) believes Congress should fulfill its duty to approve an updated farm bill without further delay. The 2018 farm bill expired (for a second time) on September 30, 2024, but at the end of last year, Congress approved a continuing resolution that extended the farm bill’s authority to September 30, 2025. An extension of the current bill was certainly welcome, as a lapse in authority can wreak havoc on farm risk protection programs one commodity at a time. With that said, the lack of action on a new farm bill, despite an extension, has resulted in some programs experiencing a lapse in funding into this year. The need for an updated farm safety net spans across commodities, as input costs have risen significantly since the last farm bill was authored and signed into law in 2018. As a result, programs that were designed to provide a safety net during times of economic downturn now no longer adequately perform as designed and cannot cover the costs of production at a basic level. Just like it is difficult to plan for the farm during regulatory uncertainty, a lack of risk protection adds another level of uncertainty to planning for this year’s production. Great strides were made in the House Agriculture Committee with their bipartisan approval of a bill in spring 2024. MOFB is confident that under the leadership of House Agriculture Committee Chair GT Thompson and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Senator John Boozman, a high priority will be placed on passage of legislation this year. Notably, the legislation passed out of committee last year included a legislative fix to address California’s Proposition 12, which MOFB supports as part of any final legislation. Over the coming weeks and months, MOFB is poised to continue these conversations with federal lawmakers as we focus on protecting crop insurance, ensuring a strong farm safety net, promoting rural development, and focusing on common-sense conservation in agriculture. |
