The one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill has ended, causing important farm programs to stop. Without action from Congress, more programs will shut down by the end of the year, leaving farmers in a tough spot.
Programs that are ending now include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Grassland Conservation, and programs that help promote U.S. farm exports, like the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD). Other affected programs include funding for bioenergy, specialty crop grants, organic certification help, and support for new farmers.
Roger Cryan, Chief Economist at the American Farm Bureau, warns that if Congress doesn’t pass a new farm bill or extend the current one by January 1st, outdated laws will kick in. This could force the government to buy milk at $49 per hundredweight and honey at $4.75 per pound, driving up prices and hurting the market.
Farmers are worried about the future. Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau, says the current farm bill needs updating to reflect the realities of farming today. He’s calling on lawmakers to put aside politics and pass a new farm bill.
Cryan agrees, saying uncertainty about the farm bill makes it harder for farmers to get loans from banks. If banks are unsure about the future, they may lend less or offer worse loan terms, putting farmers at even more risk.
On top of these challenges, farmers are also facing losses from Hurricane Helene and disruptions at East Coast ports due to a longshoreman’s strike, which could hurt farm exports and reduce foreign demand.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.