By Leah Douglas
(Reuters) – More than 300 U.S. agriculture and commodities groups urged Congress in a letter on Monday to pass a long-delayed farm spending bill before the end of the year as farmers face an expected drop in income .
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The Farm Bill, an omnibus package passed every five years, funds agricultural commodities and subsidy programs, as well as nutrition and conservation programs.
A new bill with stronger agricultural support would provide certainty to farmers dealing with high input costs and extreme weather conditions, among other hurdles, according to the letter signed by groups including the National Corn Growers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation and American Soybean Association.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast last week that farm incomes will fall 4.4% in 2024, the second consecutive annual decline.
CONTEXT
The 2018 farm bill expired in September 2023, and Congress failed to pass a new package last year amid a standoff between Republicans and Democrats on key issues, including funding for nutrition assistance.
Instead, lawmakers passed an extension of the 2018 law that expires at the end of this month, although most farm programs will continue through the end of the year.
The Republican-led House Agriculture Committee passed its version of a new farm bill in May, with little Democratic support. The House and Senate agriculture committees each draft a version of the farm bill and must reconcile it before a full vote in Congress.
IMPORTANT QUOTE
“If we fail to reauthorize a farm bill without meaningful investments in commodity programs and crop insurance, or settle for a simple extension of the current law, thousands of family farms would be left without options to benefit this country in 2025 and beyond continue to produce,” the government said. letter.
