During every farm bill cycle, we get asked to provide updates at county, regional, state-wide, and national meetings in the years leading up to the bill, during bill development, and in instances where it appears progress has stalled – like now. Sometimes the message is not fun to deliver. But, it’s the job, and it’s better to give an honest assessment than to sugarcoat the situation and have a producer think things are better than they are and make a bad financial decision because we didn’t want to come off as being too negative. One of us (the old one) has been referred to by just about everyone in Texas as Dr. Doom for most of his 30plus year career in agricultural policy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Why? Because of the hundreds of producers that have told us we truly helped them by giving them our honest – and most of the times blunt – assessment of the situation.
A producer recently sent an email with the following questions. “If Congress doesn’t value what we do enough to provide a meaningful safety net… why should we keep risking hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per year trying to make a crop? Should I just quit and do something else?”
When we get these types of questions, it helps us remember that the approximately 300,000 to 350,000 producers in the United States who rely on agriculture for their living need to hear the positives too. The rest of the article summarizes the positive response to the producer’s questions.
First, while not large in number, there are members in both the House of Representatives and Senate who truly understand how dire the situation is and are absolutely trying to help. It’s all about money and timing, and in our opinion, if this wasn’t an election year, a new farm bill would be signed into law by now.
Second, we feel strongly that Congress will also see the need and provide financial disaster assistance to help out in the short term since safety net enhancements that will be included in the new farm bill will not trigger payments until October 2026.
Third, it has taken a while, but all of the key agricultural stakeholders (general farm organizations, commodity groups, lenders, input suppliers, etc.) are working together and in unison, calling for the farm bill to be completed. It is important that members of Congress hear a consistent message.
And finally, agriculture profitability always has been and will continue to be cyclical. This means the bad times – just like the good times – don’t last for more than a few years before some unforeseen event (e.g., drought, floods, war, or pandemic) around the world causes it to change. Things will get better.
Outlaw, Joe, and Bart L. Fischer. “Staying Positive While We Wait for a Farm Bill.” Southern Ag Today 4(37.4). September 12, 2024. Permalink
