News

Ag groups focus on what’s next after OBBB passage

While the One Big Beautiful bill includes key investments for agriculture, some ag groups say it leaves a few issues unresolved for farmers and ranchers.

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew tells Brownfield the legislation may have complicated the path forward for a “skinny” farm bill. “The big remaining question, besides whether or not we’ll be able to get that across the finish line is what is the impact of the OBBB on the Farm Bill coalition, the necessary kind of support that is usually required to get a farm bill across the finish line.”

National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr says the bill still doesn’t address year-round E15 and a legislative fix is still needed. “If it’s another supplemental bill to finish the farm bill side of it, a continuing resolution or some other bill, that way we can get this E15 done because we have been working on this for a very long time.”

However, Kent Bacus with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says, the bill does address several conservation programs that have been included in previous farm bills. “We’re able to address a lot of those key things that are important to us, but if you’re talking about a traditional farm bill, we haven’t really had a traditional farm bill in quite some time. So, this is about seeing the landscape ahead of us and kind of the art of the practical. And this is really addressing some of those key things.”

The package includes $18.5 billion for EQUIP, $8.1billion for conservation stewardship, $4.1billion for the Agriculture Conservation Easement Program and $2.7 billion for Regional Conservation Partnership. The bill Increases funding for animal disease prevention management activities.

The groups say they will be watching wat Congress does next and hope to get the other priorities across the finish line.