FARM BILL PUSH: As Congress returns this week from an extended August recess, a number of influential agriculture groups are holding fly-ins and launching ad campaigns to remind lawmakers — and their constituents — of the need for a new farm bill this year. Among those in town this week are: The National Association of Wheat Growers, National Association of Corn Growers, American Soybean Association, National Farmers Union, National Cotton Council, U.S. Peanut Federation, Southwest Council of Agribusiness, National Sorghum Producers, USA Rice, Farm Credit and American Bankers Association. Where we left things: As loyal MA readers will recall, the official deadline to pass a new farm bill is Sept. 30. But negotiators generally agree the real deadline falls at the end of the year when key commodity programs expire. However, leaders of some of the commodity groups leading this week’s push argue that waiting too long for a new bill, or another extension, could create problems for producers across the country. The push: More than 300 state and national agriculture groups signed a letter sent to congressional leaders today urging action on a new farm bill, citing economic conditions, natural disasters and other challenges facing farmers. “If the farm bill is not passed this year, agricultural producers will struggle to obtain credit during the 2025 production year,” said Iowa banker Caleb Hopkins, vice chairman of the Ag and Rural Bankers Committee with the American Bankers Association, in a statement to MA. “That will come as a blow to farmers who have experienced low commodity prices and high input costs that have reduced their equity and affected their cash flow in ways that haven’t been seen in years.” The push comes on the heels of a recent USDA report forecasting a 6.8 percent decline in net farm income in 2024 — a statistic American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall told us he hopes will add pressure to pass a new farm bill. A ONE-ON-ONE WITH KEEFF FELTY: Keeff Felty, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, said the group will be “teaming up” with other commodity leaders to push lawmakers for mutual interests, mostly relating to the next farm bill, this week. We touched base with the NAWG head, a fourth-generation family farmer in Oklahoma, ahead of the organization’s fly-in. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. MA: The National Association of Wheat Growers had another fly-in earlier this year. What’s the goal this time? Felty: It's important to keep the focus and the momentum going on getting the farm bill done in this calendar year, so we can have some certainty out in the agricultural world as to what the policies and the rules going forward are. Our number one focus has always been crop insurance. It's the cornerstone of our safety net and it's really what is providing the ability to move forward. MA: What would be the impact of another farm bill extension on farmers? Felty: An extension does provide certainty. We're working under a good farm bill. That's one of the pluses is that this doesn't need a lot, it just needs a few tweaks here and there. The philosophical differences, they're always there. Those are things that can be worked out. The reality is, if we don't get it done this year, I don't know that we get one next year, just given everything else that the Congress will be working on. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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