Lobbying for farm aid, SNAP fixes continues

Farm groups, specialty crop growers, ethanol advocates and anti-hunger groups continued their campaigns for aid on Wednesday, even after congressional farm leaders said that the aid will not be included in the consolidated appropriations bill that Congress wants to finish before January 30, when the current continuing resolution funding the government expires.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Market Intel service released an analysis that said even after payments go out under the Agriculture Department’s Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program and the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), farmers will still need more money.

“When compared to current per-acre production costs and weak commodity prices, these payments generally cover only a share of losses rather than restore profitability,” the report said. “In fact, returns over total costs for all nine principal row crops are projected to remain negative on a per-acre basis even after accounting for federal assistance. Based on loss calculations used in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, rice producers face losses of roughly $210 per acre, followed by cotton ($202), oats ($159), peanuts ($131), sorghum ($91), corn ($87), wheat ($70), soybeans ($61) and barley ($42). In total, net losses across the sector are estimated to exceed $50 billion over the past three crop years.”

Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said, “Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have assured us in recent weeks that they recognize more aid is needed to keep our food supply strong, which requires a strong agricultural sector. Many have also voiced strong support for approving year-round E15 fuel, which would be a win-win for consumers and farmers by reducing the price of fuel at the pump while increasing demand for both corn and sorghum.

“The target for months has been to include both priorities in the government funding package. So, it was a shock to see bill text proposed by the House that includes neither. There is still time. Congress must act. Failing to do so would not only fail farmers, who don’t control the prices they’re paid or the skyrocketing cost of supplies, it would fail every family in America who relies on farmers to provide safe and healthy food to stock their pantries.

“We know much work is yet to be done for a legislative package to reach the finish line. The importance of including a lifeline for farmers, which translates to food security for families across America, cannot be overstated.”

Specialty crop leaders renewed their calls for urgent economic support for U.S. growers and shared their disappointment after the House released final spending bills yesterday that did not include aid for them.

“At a time when producers face rising costs, domestic labor shortages, and severe market and weather challenges, this omission is deeply concerning,” the co-chairs of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) said in a news release.

“Specialty crops are vital to healthy diets and rural economies. Yet, producers continue to lack the economic support they need to withstand ongoing disruptions and remain competitive.

“We urge Congress to address this gap as the appropriations process moves forward, and to include not less than $5 billion in dedicated aid for the specialty crop sector. This support is critical to the continued sustainability of American agriculture and the communities specialty crop growers serve.”

SCFBA is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.

“Soybean farmers are facing dire economic conditions as we enter the 2026 planting season, and we urge Congress to address economic losses not covered by FBA while we wait for key biofuel policy action by the administration,” American Soybean Association President Scott Metzger said in a news release. “We are grateful for the support of Congress and the administration in providing economic assistance this past year, but export market losses continue to push soybean farmers to the brink. Strong renewable volume obligations and final biofuel tax guidance will support future domestic market demand for soy-based biodiesel and renewable diesel, but in the interim, additional farm support will help bridge the gap for our significant uncovered losses from the 2025 crop.”

Ethanol advocates scheduled a meeting with the White House on Wednesday to try to convince officials that President Trump should intervene with lawmakers to insert a provision that would allow the sale of E15, a higher blend of ethanol, nationwide year round, Politico reported.

But in an analysis, Politico added that “any additions to the funding package at this point, which has already been finalized after weeks of negotiations, could sink the chances of it passing before the Jan. 30 shutdown deadline.”

Last Friday, the National Corn Growers Association sent congressional leaders a letter urging them to pass farm aid and the E15 legislation.

Meanwhile, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the Senate in Minnesota, and fellow Democrats on Wednesday hosted a roundtable at which state and local officials in charge of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) lamented the impact of the Republican-led SNAP mandates on state and local governments.

“Life under Trump is too expensive. Inflation is up, groceries are increasingly unaffordable for too many Americans, and the job market is stagnating,” Craig said in a news release. “Congress needs to stop picking winners and losers. We need to look out for Americans who need food assistance today, as well as for those who may unexpectedly lose their job or fall on hard times in the future. Cutting the heart out of SNAP puts states and counties in the impossible position of deciding between cutting food assistance for seniors and children, raising local tax rates or even opting out of the program entirely.”

Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research & Action Center, said FRAC “finds it unfathomable that Congress ignored the resounding calls from organizations, state and local leaders, and state agencies to use the appropriations process to stop the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cost shifts to states outlined in the budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1). This failure to act will increase hunger, strain already fragile state budgets, harm farmers and food retailers, and weaken local economies across the country.

“FRAC calls on Congress to make SNAP a top priority in future legislative vehicles and to reverse these harmful cost shifts to states so that families, farmers, food retailers, and communities can thrive.”

-The Hagstrom Report