Senate agriculture panel presses USDA to sustain farmer support and rural policy rollout

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Senate urges USDA farmer support

Highlights

Boozman urges USDA to accelerate implementation of recently updated tax and agriculture policies to ensure farmer access to benefits by fall 2024.
Boozman emphasizes concern over New World Screwworm outbreaks, highlighting six recent U.S. cases and USDA’s aggressive response to protect livestock.
Pressure on cotton producers and fertilizer costs persists, with only 12 percent of Arkansas farmers pre-ordering fertilizer this year per Farm Bureau Federation survey.

Hearing focuses on USDA implementation and farm bill agenda

As reported by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Boozman opens an oversight hearing on how the U.S. Department of Agriculture is addressing challenges facing farmers, ranchers and foresters while advancing policies intended to strengthen rural America.

Boozman tells Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that producers depend on USDA programs daily and that feedback from Arkansas farmers and stakeholders nationwide points to a weak farm economy. He says recently enacted tax and agriculture policy updates are intended to provide more predictable support, and he urges USDA to keep moving quickly so farmers can access benefits this fall.

He also says he plans to release Farm Bill 2.0 text soon, describing it as a vehicle for bipartisan measures and updated priorities for farmers, ranchers, foresters and rural communities. Boozman adds that he remains committed to advancing a farm assistance package he proposed with Senator John Hoeven in January.

Animal health, cotton and input costs shape rural industry concerns

Boozman highlights funding for USDA animal health programs as New World Screwworm remains a threat, noting that six domestic cases have been confirmed in the last week. He says USDA is taking an aggressive approach to slow the pest's movement toward the border and protect the U.S. livestock industry.

The chairman also points to pressure on cotton producers, calling the crop a cornerstone for Arkansas and other Cotton Belt states. He backs the Buying American Cotton Act and welcomes USDA's recent announcement aimed at promoting the domestic cotton industry, while also reiterating support for year-round E15 alongside protections for local and regional energy security and rural jobs.

Fertilizer costs remain another major concern, he says, with producer uncertainty reflected in an American Farm Bureau Federation survey showing that only 12 percent of responding Arkansas farmers reported pre-ordering fertilizer this year. Boozman says he wants to work with USDA and Senate colleagues on longer-term policies to lower costs and improve availability.

Our earlier coverage of the upcoming USMCA review explained how lawmakers are positioning the trade pact as a key framework for sustaining tariff-free agricultural flows and market access with Canada and Mexico. The article also outlined unresolved sticking points heading into renegotiations—especially around Canada’s dairy commitments, forest products dispute mechanisms, and tighter standards touching labor, biotech, and food safety.

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