By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Texas farmers are navigating one of the toughest agricultural economies in recent years, and uncertainty about federal farm policy only adds to the strain. That’s why Texas Farm Bureau is urging the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture to advance a new farm bill.

“In this environment, completing the farm bill is critical,” TFB President Russell Boening said.

The state’s largest general farm and ranch organization sent a letter to the U.S. House Ag Committee urging support and swift passage of Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

“Net farm income has fallen roughly 20–25% while input costs remain extremely high,” Boening said. “Many producers are operating on razor-thin margins and facing significant financial pressure heading into the next production cycle.”

Completing a farm bill is essential to providing certainty for agricultural operations facing volatile markets and unpredictable weather.

“Producers need the certainty of a modernized farm safety net, strong risk management tools, and policies that reinforce domestic food production as a pillar of national security,” he said. “Chairman Thompson’s proposal makes meaningful progress toward those goals.”

The farm bill, which is usually renewed every five years, establishes the framework for commodity programs, crop insurance, conservation initiatives and nutrition assistance. These programs serve as an important safety net and risk management tool for farmers.

But farmers are still operating under the 2018 Farm Bill while facing economic pressures that were not a reality—or even a foreseeable possibility—when that legislation was written.

The House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to begin markup on the bill on Tuesday, March 3. Markup is the formal process in which committee members debate, amend and vote on the legislation before advancing it to the full House for consideration.

“Texas Farm Bureau strongly urges all committee members to support this legislation,” Boening wrote. “A vote against this bill is a vote against farmers, ranchers and consumers who depend on a secure food and fiber supply. We respectfully request the committee advance this legislation expeditiously once markup is complete to provide much-needed stability for farm and ranch families.”