Thompson: 2025 Needs to be the Year of the Farm Bill

The Chairman for the U.S. House Ag Committee says farmers will need more support this year if a farm bill isn’t passed this summer.

Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, R- PA, says farmers need the programs included in the legislation. “If we wait any longer than June to get this farm bill done, I’m going to have to go back to leadership,” he says. “I’m absolutely convinced in December. I’ll be begging for more economic relief. Our farmers don’t want that. They want this farm bill.”

Thompson told state ag commissioners last week, there is a sense of urgency to get it done with the current ag economy.

“We were looking at a situation where at the end of 2024, farmers and ranchers were not going to get access to the credit they need,” he says. “It’s had a terrible impact on farm families. Overall, look at the nation’s needs. Food insecurity, which leads to national insecurity.”

Thompson says he’s looking forward to working with lawmakers on a full five-year farm bill that supports farmers and rural communities.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Congress has been kicking the farm bill can down the road for the past several months. Chairman Thompson is absolutely correct when stating “farmers don’t want economic relief…they want this farm bill”. Let’s hope he and the Ag Committee can get the job finished sooner than later. It’s time farmers/ranchers had some certainty when it comes to government policy and programs. They need to plan for their future just like any other business. Having a farm bill in place for the next five years will allow them that ability. It would also be important for consumer nutrition programs if the farm bill was passed early this year since they are a major component of that legislation. Certainty will lead to improved decision making about whether to purchase that new truck. So, as a CAD member you might consider contacting your member of Congress and ask them to pass a farm bill in 2025 for the benefit of your farm/ranch customers.