From the Desk of American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall

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Momentum for a new farm bill recently stalled in the U.S. Senate.

In this week’s commentary, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall tells us lawmakers must deliver certainty to rural America.

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The Senate Agriculture Committee had an opportunity to support America’s farmers and ranchers by sending a farm bill to the full Senate.

Unfortunately, the bill failed to advance out of committee.

Farmers and ranchers are facing years of losses.

They need the certainty of a strong, bi-partisan farm bill.

An overwhelming majority of Americans recognize that food security is national security.

And, most of them say they would be more likely to support a member of Congress who votes to reauthorize the farm bill.

We appreciate the efforts of the Senators who supported the bill, and we urge lawmakers to return to the table, work together, and advance the farm bill.

This is too important to allow more delays.

I’m Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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Healthy families begin with healthy food, which comes from thousands of American farms.

In this week’s commentary, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall tells us farmers are leading the way in sustainable farming practices.

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We hear a lot lately about the need for regenerative agriculture in America.

Regenerative agriculture includes practices like managed grazing of livestock on pastures to protect natural resources or the use of cover crops to conserve soil.

Caring for natural resources is something farmers have quietly been doing for years.

And the numbers don’t lie.

USDA data reveals that farmers have adopted USDA-supported regenerative agriculture practices on almost 40-million acres in fiscal year 2023.

That’s an increase of 360-percent compared to a decade before.

We’ve been helped by programs like USDA’s new $700-million Regenerative Pilot Program and other programs in the farm bill.

We’re proud of our progress, and even more can be done when farmers are treated as partners.

I’m Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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USDA is considering plans to rescind rules that protect farmers under the Packers and Stockyards Act.

In this week’s commentary, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall tells us safeguards could be eroded for poultry growers and cattle farmers.

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America’s farmers are troubled by news that USDA plans to rescind or continue to delay several rules that are designed to benefit farmers and ranchers.

The rules help protect farmers from retaliation by large processors, increase transparency and improve pay systems for contract poultry growers.

They make it clear that unfair practices by poultry companies and meatpackers will not be tolerated.

They also take on the poultry tournament pay system that’s punished growers for factors outside of their control.

Farm Bureau has advocated for a more level playing field. That progress is now at risk.

We urge President Trump and USDA to demonstrate their commitment to farmers by leaving these critical safeguards in place.

I’m Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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Rising costs and low commodity prices are squeezing farmers from all sides.

In this week’s commentary, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall tells us Congress can help ease the burden of a struggling farm economy.

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Farmers are no strangers to a difficult year. Agriculture has always been resilient, and farmers are used to adapting to changing markets and weather.

But several years of high inflation, low commodity prices, and rising production costs have left many family farms facing another year of projected losses, with little path back to profitability.

Farmers are already making decisions for next year’s crop. Without timely assistance, more farm families and rural communities will feel the impact.

Congress has an opportunity to help strengthen the farm economy by providing timely market relief before their summer recess.

That support will help keep more farmers on the land, strengthen rural communities, and protect America’s food supply.

I’m Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation.