Organizations applaud farm bill momentum

WASHINGTON — The farm bill moved through the House Agriculture Committee on March 5 with a 34-17 bipartisan vote, encouraging ag organizations that have been worried about the bill’s uncertain future.

Next, the bill will be debated and voted on by the full House.

Ag Leader Opinions

“We urge House leaders to continue the momentum and bring this important legislation to a vote on the floor. Farmers understand there are many competing priorities in our country right now, but so much has changed since Congress last updated the farm bill in 2018. Agriculture has endured a pandemic, runaway inflation, rising interest rates and historic supply chain and market disruptions. Costs for fuel, fertilizer, equipment and labor have surged, and margins have narrowed. The pressure on farm families has intensified so much that we’ve lost more than 175,000 farms since 2017. That’s just heartbreaking.”

Zippy Duvall, president

American Farm Bureau Federation

“Pork producers of all shapes and sizes need this regulatory relief and are grateful for House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson’s steady commitment to providing relief from state laws outside our borders. Now, it is up to the full House of Representatives to finish the job — pass this farm bill and give agricultural producers across the country true freedom to farm.”

Duane Stateler, immediate past president

National Pork Producers Council

“We are pleased to see that the House Committee on Agriculture has advanced the 2026 farm bill, which builds upon the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s investments in agriculture and addresses additional programs and policies important to corn growers. Highlights for NCGA in the legislation include provisions in the credit, conservation, rural development, research and energy titles.”

Jed Bower, president

National Corn Growers Association

“We appreciate the effort of House Agriculture Committee members on both sides of the aisle to advance a farm bill, and we recognize the hard work that went into this markup. Bipartisan progress in today’s Congress is not insignificant, and we are grateful to the members who engaged seriously with the challenges facing family agriculture. That said, we remain concerned that this proposal does not yet meet the scale of the crisis facing family farmers and ranchers. The fundamental changes needed to fix what’s broken in American agriculture — reining in corporate consolidation, building true safety nets and investing in local communities — still need to be made.”

Rob Larew, president

National Farmers Union

“Thank you to members of the House Agriculture Committee, especially Indiana’s own Reps. Jim Baird and Mark Messmer, for their work in passing the Farm, Food and National Security Act out of committee. Although this is an encouraging step forward to finally get the rest of the farm bill priorities across the finish line, we still need it to receive a floor vote in the House. Indiana Farm Bureau urges Congress to keep the momentum going for the sake of Hoosier farmers and all those who benefit from the food, fuel and fiber they produce.”

Randy Kron, president

Indiana Farm Bureau