U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith emphasized the urgency for Congress to strengthen the commodity safety net in a new Farm Bill, aligning with farmers and ranchers who testified on this need. The Senate Agriculture Committee initiated discussions on the new Farm Bill, addressing challenges faced by those still under 2018 policies.
Hyde-Smith highlighted that “input costs are through the roof while crop prices are lower than they were 15 years ago,” stressing that the federal farm safety net is inadequate to support farmers and ranchers. She warned of broader economic impacts, stating, “When farms are in trouble, so are the banks, the retailers, the equipment dealerships, grain buyers, gins, textile mills, transportation businesses – among the many others up and down the supply chain.”
She pointed out that Title I safety net programs cover only about 5 percent of the Farm Bill base. Zippy Duvall from the American Farm Bureau Federation echoed her concerns and called for improvements in Title I to prevent worsening problems.
Both Hyde-Smith and Duvall agreed on using “sound, risk-based science” for developing crop protection tools and biotechnology products essential for maximizing yields. Hyde-Smith noted that without these innovations, farmers face significant challenges from pests and weeds.
