Boozman Stresses Economic Assistance Relief for Struggling Farm Families
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, urged Congress to provide emergency economic assistance to agricultural producers facing market losses.
“It’s clear the pain our farm families are living through,” Boozman said in remarks on the Senate floor. “For some producers, this is the second or third consecutive year of negative cash flow. This means many farm families are ending 2024 in the red, unable to pay off this year’s operating loan, unable to get the loan to farm in 2025, and face the reality of being the generation to have lost the family farm due to extreme market conditions beyond their control.”
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Gov. Landry joins Republican Governors in Urging for Passage of New Modernized Federal Farm Bill
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, along with 16 other Republican Governors across the United States, signed a letter urging the U.S. congressional leadership to pass a new federal farm bill, following the expiration of the previous iteration on September 30, 2024.
The federal bill was last passed in 2018 and then had its lifetime extended to the 2024 deadline following the failure of a new farm bill to be passed in 2023; something that is seen as irregular with a new bill being traditionally passed by Congress every five years.
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Republican Governors Urge Congress to Pass Farm Bill
A group of 17 Republican governors has sent a joint letter to Congress urging passage of an updated Farm Bill.
The most recent Farm Bill, which federal lawmakers approved early in President-elect Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, expired in September.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp joined the GOP governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia in signing the letter.
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Fall Fly-in Pushes for Meaningful Farm Bill, Farmer Economic Assistance
Last week, more than five dozen rice industry representatives from all sectors traveled here in what may be a final push to get the Farm Bill across the finish line in the lame duck Congress, and to discuss the need for economic loss assistance for rice farmers for the 2024 crop year.
Before fanning out across the Capitol, the group gathered to hear updates and policy analysis, and pose questions to ag policy thought leaders and officials.
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With Farm Bill Stalled, Future Uncertain for Louisiana Farmers, Nutrition Programs
Cars pack a gravel lot outside Hope Ministries, a Methodist nonprofit situated in the 70805 zip code, where the per capita yearly income is $18,340. The organization’s mission is to prevent homelessness and promote dignity.
A week before Thanksgiving, residents wait patiently for their turn at the organization's Client Choice Food Pantry.
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Senate Ag Committee Members: 1 in 5 Farmers at Risk Financially
A trifecta of high input prices, high interest rates, and depressed crop prices have Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) bringing focus to the economic stress for farmers.
Earlier this week at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing: A Review of Disaster Funding, the senators asked colleagues to broaden the scope to include market loss assistance for the nation’s agricultural sector.
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Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow Gives a Progress Update on the Farm Act
There is another piece of legislation in the works called the Farm Act. Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow co-sponsored the bill.
RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender got the chance to meet up with her and get her take on the progress so far in Washington D.C.
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Mixed Reactions Greet Stabenow’s $39 Billion Rural Prosperity Act
On Monday, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the $39 billion Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. The proposal aims to address food insecurity, support rural economies, and strengthen agricultural policies.
The announcement highlights the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the farm bill, as the current extension nears expiration and Stabenow’s opposition (the incoming Republican majority) is poised to take control of the Senate in January.
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Stabenow Finally Releases Full Text of Senate Farm Bill; Here’s What It Means for Agriculture
Stabenow unveiled 1,397-page details of her long-awaited farm bill Monday morning. This comes as early Sunday evening Pro Farmer broke the news that Senate Ag Chairwoman (D-Mich.) had briefed Democrats but not Republicans on her coming farm bill text, which was expected to be released Monday.
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Farm Credit Council Sends Unanimous Letter to Congress
The Farm Credit Council sent a letter to House and Senate leadership calling for action before year-end to provide emergency funding for agricultural producers recovering from disasters and enact a 5-year Farm Bill providing an enhanced safety net for farmers and ranchers. We are proud to share the letter was signed unanimously by all 61 Farm Credit institutions, sending a powerful message to Congress.
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Will Election Results Deliver A Farm Bill This Year?
Election night couldn’t have gone better for Republicans. Voters returned Donald Trump to the White House and gave the GOP a Senate majority. While control of the House remains up in the air as of early Wednesday morning, it’s clear the political landscape will be much different in D.C. come 2025.
But what about the rest of this year? Could a lame duck president and Congress deliver a farm bill on the way out? It could just happen.
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Farm Bureau: A New Farm Bill Would Solve a Lot of Current Ag Issues
Lawmakers are expected back on the Hill after tomorrow’s election, and farm groups are hoping they take action for America’s producers.
“A new farm bill would have taken care of a lot of these issues. But because we don’t have that farm bill, we have different needs across the country that have not been met by Congress,” said Joe Gilson.
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Economic Assistance For The '24 Crop Year Starting To Take Place
As we have noted over the past few months, there is growing pressure to complete a farm bill in advance of the 2025 crop year and to provide economic assistance for 2024 losses given the low levels of support being provided by the current farm bill extension. Hurricanes Helene and Milton have also resulted in renewed calls for natural disaster assistance for the 2023 and 2024 crop years.
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Lame Duck Farm Bill Passage Won't Be Easy, Analysts Say
Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported recently that “the lame-duck session of Congress offers a last chance to enact the new farm bill this year, but it would require compromise on a number of nettlesome policy disputes and an agreement among House and Senate leaders on how much to spend, said farm policy experts. The bill could also be sidetracked by overarching issues such as passing a government funding bill, they cautioned.”
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Congresswoman Julia Letlow Introduces the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation (FARM) Act
Congresswoman Julia Letlow joined Congressman Trent Kelly in introducing the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation (FARM) Act of 2024. This legislation addresses the urgent need for immediate economic support for Louisiana farmers facing unprecedented challenges as they approach the crucial lending season for the 2025 crop year.
The FARM Act will give farmers one-time assistance payments and will be a critical resource for farmers in helping them pay down debt relative to the 2024 crop year and assist them in obtaining financing for the 2025 crop year.
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