Ag Industry Trends & Outlooks

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.

Last week, Farm Credit staff, directors, farmers, ranchers, foresters and fishermen from across the nation traveled to Washington, D.C., for the bi-annual Farm Credit Fly-In. The two-day event consisted of hundreds of legislative visits, both in-person and virtual, as well as a marketplace showcasing agricultural products from across the country.

Climate change is front and center on policymakers’ agendas both with the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress. As highlighted in our Stewards of the Land series, Northeast farm, forest products and fishing businesses are using a variety of new and existing strategies to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment.