The American Farm Bureau Federation sent letters to President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders today, highlighting severe economic pressures pushing America’s farmers and ranchers to a breaking point.
Falling crop prices, skyrocketing expenses and ongoing trade disputes have created unsustainable conditions for farm families across the country, according to the organization’s appeal for immediate federal intervention.
“Across the country, farms are disappearing as families close the gates on the farms tended by their parents, grandparents and generations before them,” wrote AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Every farm lost takes with it generations of knowledge, community leadership and the heartbeat of local economies: fewer kids in schools, fewer trucks at the grain elevator, fewer small businesses that keep rural towns alive.”
Crop prices have plummeted since 2022, while U.S. agriculture has experienced a trade deficit during the same period. Trade uncertainties with China have added volatility and left farmers questioning their futures.
The Farm Bureau is requesting bridge payments for farmers before the end of 2025, with Duvall emphasizing these payments must be “robust enough to address sector-wide gaps and provide meaningful support as the federal government works to recalibrate trade strategies, stabilize prices, and strengthen key market relationships.”
The organization outlined additional priorities including fair trade agreements, year-round E15 biofuel sales, whole milk restoration in schools, agricultural supply price investigations, and prioritizing American-grown produce in federal purchasing programs.
“Federal leadership can now prevent a deepening crisis by taking steps to preserve our agricultural infrastructure,” Duvall concluded.
