As President Trump begins another term, America’s agricultural sector faces critical challenges that demand urgent attention. Farmers and ranchers are grappling with labor shortages, trade disputes, and rising costs—issues that have persisted for far too long. These problems threaten the livelihoods of those who feed the nation and the stability of our food supply chain. It’s time to prioritize overdue solutions for the backbone of our economy.
The 2018 Farm Bill, a cornerstone of U.S. agricultural and food policy, is long overdue for an upgrade. Now on its second one-year extension, this crucial legislation—originally enacted during President Trump’s first term—has seen little urgency for reform under the Biden administration. Many of its provisions rely on data that is more than a decade old, leaving farmers with outdated support systems. Dr. John Newton, the new leader at Terrain, emphasizes that the Farm Bill represents a 5-year contract with farmers that has effectively been violated, undermining trust and stability within the agricultural community.
Outside of the Farm Bill, Dr. Newton says that the macro-economy has put a lot of pressure on the ag marketplace as well.
Dr. Newton highlights some areas that farmers have that can help them make a strategy that won’t make them have to cut corners to make a profit.
With Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House, Dr. Newton believes that there is an opportunity for them to use budget reconciliation like they did in Trump’s first term, and as Biden did during his term. It gives them an option to make some needed changes if they don’t lose votes in their rank and file.
Tariffs are also a concern on the horizon, though President Trump did not include any in his Day One flurry of Executive orders. There is hope that there is still room for negotiation to avoid these tariffs, as they would be a burden on agriculture when retaliatory tariffs are implemented. Of course, only time will tell on that.
