Farm and ranch groups say they welcome the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill through September 2024 as part of a continuing resolution approved by the U.S. House and Senate to fund the federal government. But they are also urging lawmakers to work on a new five-year farm bill.

“We are grateful Congress passed a farm bill extension to avoid serious program disruptions and we encourage President Biden to sign it. However, we urge both the House and Senate to stay focused on a new, modernized farm bill that recognizes the many changes and challenges of the past five years,” said Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation president.

“The current farm bill was written before the pandemic, before inflation spiked and before global unrest sent shock waves through the food system. We need programs that reflect today’s realities,” he said in a press release.

National Farmers Union president Rob Larew said in a statement he is encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for the extension and urges Congress to channel that success toward getting a new farm bill done in a timely fashion.

“Family farmers and ranchers must have clarity about the status of farm programs to make informed planting and business decisions heading into the next growing season, and an extension accomplishes that in the short term,” he said.

Decision time

The National Corn Growers Association is pleased with the extension but said in a statement it is no substitute for a fully reauthorized farm bill.

“Growers are already making decisions for the 2024 crop year based on markets, growing conditions and risk calculations,” said Harold Wolle, NCGA president.

“This extension provides us with much needed certainty around the commodity title and other important USDA programs. But we continue to advocate for a full reauthorization of the farm bill as soon as possible,” he said. 

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association praised Congress for passing the funding package, which also extends the Livestock Mandatory Reporting program until Jan. 19, 2024.

“NCBA is thankful for Congress passing legislation extending critical programs that farmers and ranchers across the country depend on. These extensions give much needed certainty to cattle producers,” said Todd Wilkinson, NCBA president.

NCBA will continue engaging with Congress and the Biden administration as they work to deliver a long-term farm bill, as well as a clean reauthorization of Livestock Mandatory Reporting, he said.

In limbo

The growing impacts from the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill required immediate attention, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is pleased to see an extension, said Mike Lavender, NSAC policy director.

“While the extension offers a degree of stability and much-needed breathing room, we’ll soon be more than five years removed from the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill,” he said.

The intervening years have been among the most tumultuous in the nation’s history, he said.

“Farmers, ranchers and food system stakeholders deserve updated federal policy that levels the playing field, invests in a climate resilient future and advances racial equity. We implore Congress to pass a strong, bipartisan farm bill in early 2024,” he said.

The Organic Trade Association appreciates the foresight of the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership in not letting the funding for essential organic programs expire, said Tom Chapman, CEO of the organization.

“However, Congress cannot take the full year to complete a new version. The farm bill charts the course for agriculture, and organic farmers need updated policy and the stability and certainty that the farm bill provides,” he said.