Farmers Urge Congress to Provide Certainty to Rural America

Congress must not delay in delivering critical aid to farmers and ranchers who are facing mounting challenges to growing the food, fiber and fuel America’s families rely on. That’s the message American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall delivered today in a letter to Congress urging passage of the Continuing Resolution, which lawmakers are expected to vote on this week.

The legislation includes a farm bill extension, relief from low commodity prices and high supply costs, and help for farmers who were impacted by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024.

“In the absence of an updated farm bill that works to help farmers manage risk, the supplemental assistance provided by this CR will help bridge the gap until Congress can act to pass a new five-year farm bill,” wrote President Duvall. “Without this needed aid, many farmers, especially our next generation of farmers, must decide whether to decrease acres for the next growing season because they cannot secure financing, or to give up on planting a crop at all.”

The CR would also allow year-round E-15 sales, which will help reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.

Farmers have been vocal in their support of immediate assistance. Since Saturday, AFBF members sent almost 13,000 messages to lawmakers, calling on them to include agriculture assistance and to pass the CR without delay.

“Congress must pass this CR to deliver assistance to America’s farmers and ranchers at a time when they need it most,” concluded President Duvall. “We are respectfully asking you to vote YEA on this CR to provide that assistance and pave the way for a new five-year farm bill that will have enhanced commodity and risk management programs to help farmers mitigate their risk in the future.”

Read the full letter here.