Tell Congress: Don’t let farmers down — pass a farm bill!

With Congress expected to hold lame duck session through mid-December, Michigan Farm Bureau is launching one final push to Michigan's Congressional delegation urging passage of a modernized, five-year farm bill.

According to MFB President Carl Bednarski, a Tuscola County farmer, as producers continue to face a struggling farm economy, it's time for Congress to put partisan politics aside and pass a new farm bill that provides the needed safety net and risk management tools.

"The farm bill expired more than a year ago. Now, even the extension is expired. And Congress has yet to act," Bednarski said. "Our communities, families and farm businesses deserve better."

According to Bednarski, USDA farm-level profitability projections for corn, soybeans, hogs, wheat and other crops for 2024 are among the worst in the last 15 years when adjusted for inflation. "If realized, the two-year decline in U.S. net cash farm income would represent the steepest drop in U.S. net cash farm income of all time," he added.

The outlook for the 2025 farm economy isn't promising either. USDA's first cost-of-production forecast for major U.S. field crops for 2025 reveals higher production expenses for corn, soybeans and wheat next year, with the cost of production running 22% to 31% higher than when Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill.

Bednarski is encouraging members to utilize MFB's action request system to urge their respective members of Congress to make farm bill passage during the lame duck session a top priority, noting Michigan farmers have been without a farm bill since Sept. 30 when the previous extension expired.

Participate by texting 'MIFARMBILL' to 52886 or visit https://bit.ly/MIFarmBill.

Earlier this fall, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall noted that America has lost 141,000 farms over the last five years, warning low commodity prices, rising supply costs, inflation and outdated farm policy provisions have put thousands more at risk.

"Farmers were told lawmakers just needed more time to pass a five-year farm bill, but once again we find ourselves in a lurch without much-needed improvements to safety net and risk management programs," Duvall said.

According to National Legislative Counsel John Kran, Michigan Farm Bureau's farm bill priorities remain:

• Passing a bipartisan farm bill that keeps nutrition and farm programs together.
• Increasing funding commitments to farm programs that have not kept up with inflation.
• Prioritizing funding for federal crop insurance and commodity programs.
• Maintaining funding for voluntary conservation programs.
• Ensuring adequate USDA staffing and technical assistance.
• Supporting trade promotion programs.
• Ensuring funding for agricultural research and education.

"Congress needs to hear from us - again," Kran said. "It's great that they've been listening, engaging in numerous conversations with our members and visiting their farms, but now we need them to show up for their constituents when it really counts and get the job done by passing a farm bill that delivers for Michigan."

Farm bill programs are known for keeping the nation secure through a strong and sustainable food, fiber and renewable fuel supply.

Farm bill programs provide significant benefits to Michigan communities in various ways:

• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) delivers $3.6 billion in benefits to 1.4 million individuals and 761,100 families, supporting food security across the state.
• The programs bolster Michigan's more than 45,000 farms, which contribute over $188.3 billion to the economy and sustain over 1 million agriculture-related jobs.
• Crop insurance programs safeguard more than 4.3 million acres of farmland, helping farmers manage risk and maintain production.
• Conservation initiatives assist farmers in implementing environmentally beneficial practices, with over 369,000 acres of farmland enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, or Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
• The programs provide a stable foundation for farm and agribusiness operators, fostering innovation, technological adoption, and the growth of new and beginning farmers, while strengthening the entire supply chain from farming and transportation to processing and market distribution.

Read more about the farm bill and Michigan Farm Bureau's advocacy on the issue through our extensive Michigan Farm News coverage.