By Clint Thompson
The next farm bill remains a work in progress. Farmers and agricultural experts are hopeful the next version will be passed sooner rather than later.
Bob Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C., provided pecan producers an update about this important piece of legislation during the recent Georgia Pecan Growers Association Conference on April 1.
“The House Ag Committee has passed Farm Bill 2.0. Seven democrats crossed over and voted with Republican majority. Now we wait,” Redding said. “Our view, production ag, at least from our folks think sometime in that May timeframe, hopefully, it will go to the rules committee and the floor, and we think Chairman (John) Boozman and his team who are working now will certainly take a look at it as far as moving it in the senate.
“There are a lot of items in it from every single ag sector. I think it will be a bill that’s very much needed, whether you’re a row crop, specialty crop or livestock. It’s very good.”
The House Agriculture Committee passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on March 5, 2026. Committee Chairman GT Thompson said following its passage, “A new farm bill is long overdue, and the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is an important step forward in providing certainty to our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.”
The farm bill is a piece of legislation that is scheduled to be renewed every five years. President Trump signed the Farm Bill into law on Dec. 20, 2018. But it expired at the end of September 2023. The 2018 farm bill totaled $800 billion. The next farm bill could approach $1.5 trillion.
“Speaker (Mike) Johnson spoke very positively about moving forward, so maybe it’ll stand alone. We’re just working with Chairman Thompson and his team, follow his lead and encouraging members to get on board and vote for it on the floor, both parties,” Redding said.