The House Ag Committee recently put forth its text for an updated Farm Bill, something farmers and ranchers have been longing for. Ryan Yates, American Farm Bureau Managing Director of Government Affairs, says ag has waited long enough.
“American farmers and ranchers deserve better, and they deserve long term certainty. As I’ve said before, trying to manage American farm policy based on the status quo of 2018 is just unconscionable.”
Yates says he’s confident in Congressional ag leadership: It’s the rank-and-file members he’s concerned about.
“I think those committees are working and doing everything they can. They want to get a farm bill done, but the margins in Congress are challenging, and so I think what we’re trying to do is, is to continue to build the grassroots support, give them the support that they need and the cover they need to really ensure that they can find a path forward to get this thing done this year.”
A lot of farm bill items were passed as part of last year’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill.’ But much work was left on the table.
“Many updates still remain when we’re looking at the conservation title, credit title, rural development title, again, I think there’s some important things that need to be updated. And you know, it’s while they’re smaller parts of the Farm Bill, each one is equally important and has a direct impact on rural communities.”