Farmers Union leader hopes for farm bill progress

Farmers Union leader hopes for farm bill progress

National Farmers Union leaders hope Congress does not delay work on the new farm bill.

Government Relations Director Mike Stranz says that’s, “because the calendar gets pretty tight as you get into the summer of 2024 and the election coming up.”

Stranz tells Brownfield if a farm bill is going to get done in a timely fashion, lawmakers will need to show progress by late January or early February. “Just to see some draft text, which hasn’t been released yet, and then some action by the House and Senate agriculture committees, hopefully by the springtime, and maybe there could be summertime consideration of the full farm bill on the floor of the House or Senate, but any later than that and it’s going to have to be after the election.”

And Stranz says he’s optimistic some of National Farmers Union’s legislative priorities like Fairness for Farmers and increased competition might move forward in the new farm bill.