“I commend Riceland Foods’ Chief Operating Officer, Ben Noble, for his testimony today before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. At a time of significant uncertainty—marked by persistently low commodity prices and high input costs—Noble delivered a compelling call for a new farm bill that reflects the realities of today’s agricultural economy.
“One critical issue highlighted in his testimony is the looming expiration of key tax provisions from the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act at the end of this year. As Noble emphasized, the Section 199A deduction is particularly vital for farmer cooperatives like Riceland, enabling them to pass tax benefits directly to their farmer-members. This strengthens farm operations and supports rural economies.
“We join in urging Congress to act swiftly—both to pass a comprehensive, five-year farm bill and to make permanent these essential tax provisions without delay.”
About NCFC
Since 1929, NCFC has been the voice of America’s farmer cooperatives. Our members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which are in turn consist of nearly 2,000 local farmer cooperatives across the country. NCFC members also include 17 state and regional councils of cooperatives. Farmer cooperatives allow individual farmers the ability to own and lead organizations that are essential for continued competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets.
America’s farmer-owned cooperatives provide a comprehensive array of services for their members. These diverse organizations handle, process and market virtually every type of agricultural commodity. They also provide farmers with access to infrastructure necessary to manufacture, distribute and sell a variety of farm inputs. Additionally, they provide credit and related financial services, including export financing.
