Ag Industry Trends & Outlooks

As 2025 begins, the 119th Congress faces a busy start. Senate committees will hold nomination hearings for 24 cabinet-level positions, while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns of hitting the debt limit. The American Relief Act, 2025, extends government funding through March 14, 2025, and includes a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. Brooke Rollins is nominated as Secretary of Agriculture, amidst hopes of passing the Farm Bill early in the year to address the decline in farm income.

The Farm Bill has been bogged down since the Fall while Congress has battled over funding the government. Given it’s an election year, Congressional leaders have acknowledged if the Farm Bill isn’t passed by mid-year, it will likely be extended for another year leaving it for the next Congress to complete. Several Farm Credit backed proposals have been introduced this Congress that would allow Farm Credit to lean into meeting the capital needs of rural America. The intent is for these “marker bills” to be included in the Farm Bill. Here is a summary of four of them.

Emergency Relief Program (ERP) phase one closed on December 16, 2022. Phase two opened on January 23rd and runs through June 2, 2023. The funds appropriated by Congress will be distributed through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) and the ERP. Regarding ELRP, the Farm Service Agency will release more information once they have finished its analysis on the 2021 drought and wildfire impacts on livestock producers.

Demand for foreign workers under the H-2A temporary visa program has significantly expanded in recent years. This month’s Knowledge Exchange Partner provides an overview of a recent H-2A webinar hosted by Farm Credit East and Harris Beach, PLLC.