The Thanksgiving leftovers are put away and holiday decorations are beginning to light front porches and mantles. With only a few weeks left before the new year – and even fewer before the 118th Congress is adjourned – policymakers are tasked with a hefty to-do list. Many lawmakers are already vowing to circle back on some of these must-do items in 2025.
But America’s farmers and ranchers cannot wait for help.
Right now, there are farm families sitting around kitchen tables poring over budgets, wondering how they will secure a loan without the certainty of an adequate farm safety net or pay their bills with the high cost of inputs and the low prices they’re receiving for their crops.
Rural America is facing a slew of challenges. Congress must prioritize and pass key legislation to support America’s farm and ranch families. Not next year – now.
Without a strong farm safety net in place, producers must bear the brunt of the many challenges completely out of their control.
Following a visit to areas in Georgia and Florida impacted by recent hurricanes, House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-PA) stated:
“America’s producers are already facing a tough farm economy. Since the last farm bill was passed in 2018, farmers have traversed a global pandemic, trade wars, fractured supply chains, labor shortages, rising input costs, lower commodity prices, the sharpest declines in farm income, record agricultural trade deficits, and more. The current farm safety net simply does not meet the needs of our rural communities.”
This is the reality for our farm and ranch families. For months, agricultural leaders have shared their concerns about the financial storm brewing in rural America.
Chairman Thompson shared that producers need a Farm Bill “that meaningfully strengthens the farm safety net” as well as an agriculture disaster package to help farmers and ranchers navigate devastating natural and economic disasters.
The data from rural America is reinforcing the urgent need for some type of assistance to provide a backing of support for farmers and ranchers. A recent credit conditions survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found farm incomes across the Ninth District are falling “overwhelmingly.”
There’s too much at stake when the families who feed, fuel, and clothe our nation are facing such extreme circumstances. Last week, we were able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinners with friends, family, and loved ones thanks to the hard work of our farm and ranch families.
Now, lawmakers must do their part by passing legislation to support producers and bolster the farm safety net.