The National Corn Growers Association said today that the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, recently released by the chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, would improve existing programs for corn growers and rural America.
The comments were included in a letter from the NCGA president to the committee leadership ahead of the bill’s markup.
“Many of the NCGA-endorsed farm bill marker bills and policy recommendations are reflected in the proposed legislation and would be an improvement upon existing programs for corn growers and rural America,” wrote Ohio farmer and NCGA President Jed Bower. “As the legislative process moves forward, corn growers will continue to advocate for additional policy enhancements and are prepared to defend against harmful amendments.”
The 2018 Farm Bill, originally set to expire on September 30, 2023, has been extended twice. NCGA and affiliated state associations have provided formal input with recommendations for updating farm bill policies and programs as far back as 2022.
Corn growers from across the country have participated in listening sessions, field hearings, formal Congressional testimony, and meetings with their Member of Congress to call for improvements to make USDA programs more effective, efficient, and responsive.
Bower said the recently released farm bill includes many programs and policies important to corn growers and broader constituencies across rural America, including:
Emphasizing access to credit and rural development allowing corn growers to enhance their operations and innovate with precision agriculture tools. Bower said corn growers support sections of the bill that update loan limits for farm ownership loans and guaranteed operating loans. He noted that corn growers also support provisions that expand access and promote the adoption of precision agriculture technology, which will help to ease the financial burden of adopting precision agriculture practices.
Supporting voluntary conservation programs. Corn growers are committed to implementing successful conservation practices on their farms. The legislation includes a process for the establishment of interim and new conservation practice standards, which will help to speed the development and adoption of innovative conservation practices so that corn farmers have timely access to the latest, proven technologies and practices.
Bolstering U.S. international market development efforts. The letter noted that NCGA strongly supported the doubling of mandatory funding for USDA trade promotion programs in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the funding allocations for the existing Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program. The two programs allow the U.S. to promote exports abroad and reduce trade barriers for American exporters.
The letter also called on Congress to help growers during difficult economic times by creating and expanding markets.
“In addition to advancing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, there are a number of immediate actions that policymakers can take to address the significant economic hardship that has fallen on the agriculture industry,” Bower said. “Corn growers are facing their fourth year of negative profitability, including an average loss of $125 per acre for the current crop marketing year alone, resulting from trade disruption, persistently high input prices and foreign competition.”
He added that Congress and the White House could do more to address growers’ economic struggles, including passing legislation that would expand nationwide, consumer access to fuels with 15% ethanol blends year-round and expediting negotiations and implementation of trade agreements.
The letter also emphasized the need for committee members to work across the aisle.
“Corn growers would like to see this process move forward in a bipartisan manner and for a farm bill to be signed into law this year,” Bower said.
