More than 250 food and agriculture organizations joined forces to urge the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to advance a bipartisan farm bill out of committee in a letter delivered today. The American Farm Bureau organized the letter, which notes that farmers and ranchers haven't had a new farm bill in almost ten years.
Read MoreTen innovative startups focused on solving agriculture’s greatest challenges are seeking the top prize of $100,000 in the 2027 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is proud to promote rural entrepreneurship and agriculture innovation through the Challenge.
Read MoreThe Senate Agriculture Committee’s farm bill markup is scheduled for this Thursday. Brian Glenn, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the bill contains several major wins for Farm Bureau and U.S. agriculture.
Read MoreFollowing the U.S. House of Representative’s approval of a budget resolution that includes $12 billion in much-needed economic aid for farmers and ranchers, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall sent a letter today to Senate leadership encouraging the chamber to advance the budget resolution.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall today applauded the release of farm bill text and notice of a Senate Ag markup for next week.
“When you look across the spectrum of agriculture, there is one piece of legislation that touches almost every farm in America, and that’s the farm bill, so it’s time for Congress to get it done.”
Read MoreThe USDA released the July Cattle Inventory and July Cattle on Feed Reports last week. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the two reports offer a good snapshot of the current U.S. cattle industry.
Read MoreCrop farmers continue to face elevated production costs, lower commodity prices and tight margins – with no relief on the horizon. AFBF analysis projects 2027 will mark a sixth year of negative returns over total costs for most major row crops. Specialty crop farmers are experiencing similar financial strain, facing expected below-breakeven prices and acreage reductions across major fruit, vegetable and tree nut sectors in 2026, even as limited public data make the full scale of losses difficult to measure. At the same time, fertilizer and fuel prices remain volatile, with the Iran conflict adding additional pressure to those markets.
Read MoreSeveral years of high inflation and low commodity prices, coupled with volatile production costs, are continuing to squeeze farmers financially. These forces are projected to hit farmers with $32 billion in losses for the major row crops in 2027 after a projected loss of $31 billion in 2026. Fruit, vegetable, nut and other specialty crop farmers faced billions of dollars in losses in 2025, with difficult market conditions continuing throughout 2026.
Read MoreSince 1982, cropland, pastureland and rangeland have declined, while developed land has increased by nearly 48 million acres (66%), roughly the size of Nebraska.
Acres moving between cropland, pasture and the Conservation Reserve Program may remain connected to agriculture, while land converted to housing, industrial sites, roads or other built uses is far less likely to return to production.
Read MoreAmerica’s farmers are facing a labor crisis. Continued agriculture workforce shortages threaten farmers’ ability to grow the food families rely on. Many labor challenges are addressed in new legislation introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 builds on recommendations of the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group and modernizes the H-2A visa program by expanding access to a year-round workforce and eliminating unpredictable swings in wage rates, among other changes.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalizing the registrations of new pesticide products that provide farmers with additional tools to protect their crops.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on President Trump’s executive order to lift countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco through early next year.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall today applauded the White House request to Congress for more than $11 billion in additional assistance for America's farmers and ranchers, as well as the administration's call for year-round access to E15 fuel.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall commented on the Senate farm bill discussion draft released today by Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Trump administration’s clarification of a key aspect of farm labor access for the dairy sector.
“Farmers thank the Trump administration for addressing the farm labor crisis by expanding H-2A access for certain dairy jobs. The reality is clear - fewer Americans choose to work on farms while the need for qualified workers increases, creating a difficult labor market for U.S. farm families.
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