Punching out the end-of-year checklist

Punching out the end-of-year checklist

Somehow, the year is at its end. This season often has us look back at those New Year’s goals and resolutions set 11+ months ago or tasks added to the to-do list throughout the year to determine what to mark off before January 1 rolls around. 

Farming families across the Lone Star State – and the country – are now looking back at a hard year’s work and may feel disheartened. Another year of high and rising input costs, troublesome commodity prices, and the harrows of Mother Nature have continued to wreak havoc on an already troubled agricultural economy.

Texas Corn Producers Association (TCPA) recognizes this and is still working on its own end-of-year checklist. What is the association hoping to mark off the list by the new year?

TCPA’s End-of-Year Checklist

  • Farm Bill
  • Economic Disaster Relief
  • Protecting Foreign Markets

These three not-so-simple tasks have been at the forefront of the association’s efforts for some time now.

Farm Bill

TCPA has continued its talks with legislators and their staff throughout this year – urging a bipartisan bill that offers adequate risk protection to keep family farms in business and the domestically-grown food, feed, fuel and fiber Americans appreciate available.

With the lame duck well underway, agricultural groups now believe we will see another extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. Though this isn’t the farm program modernization TCPA and others have advocated for in recent years, it would at least keep farm programs in place for the 2025 season. 

Until December 11, there are still some conversations about a farm bill extension-plus that offered the potential of some level of temporary support for farmers in addition to a simple extension of the current farm bill. However, congressional leadership has narrowed the path forward for the agricultural committees to fund such a farm bill extension with the clearly needed updates to keep America’s farming families in business.

The future is also unclear for the farm bill’s “orphan programs” that lack baseline funding, which include multiple energy title programs. The extension of the farm bill in 2023 included the majority of the programs.

TCPA continues to actively advocate for a farm bill – extension or otherwise – to be put in place by the year’s end. This Congress needs to give farmers the certainty only a farm bill can provide. Then the 119th Congress needs to make a new farm bill with the necessary modernizations a priority. TCPA is already working to ensure lawmakers understand this needs to be handled promptly and the issues will only be compounded by kicking the can down the road.

Economic Disaster Relief

With an outdated farm bill, Texas farmers have bitten the bullet for several years now. Input costs are rising, interest rates have increased, and commodity prices are lower – creating a storm that’s only comparable to those dealt by nature; Texas farmers have weathered many trials from her, too.

TCPA has worked with members of the Texas delegation in Congress to encourage their co-sponsorship and support of Representative Trent Kelly’s (MS) Farm Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act (FARM Act). The association is pleased that we have seen bipartisan co-sponsorship of the FARM Act, which provides a mechanism to assist farmers when they need it: now.

Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects corn’s marketing year average (MYA) price at $4.10 per bushel. The Ag and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M projects the Texas corn farmer’s cost of production for the 2024 crop is $4.62 per bushel. This means that Texas corn farmers are expected to lose $0.52 per bushel in 2024. Yet, since the MYA price of corn is above the $4.01 per bushel effective reference price that triggers Title 1 support farmers cannot expect support from the government’s existing programs. This is why an economic disaster relief package like the FARM Act is needed.

TCPA appreciates the Texas members who acknowledge the dire situation for our farmers and have stepped up as co-sponsors on the FARM Act:
*Indicates original cosponsors

Protecting Foreign Markets

It’s no secret that the U.S. corn industry has been closely watching its foreign markets – particularly in Mexico. TCPA has actively worked to advocate on the farmers’ behalf. These efforts ultimately led to the U.S. Trade Representative filing a dispute against Mexico to uphold its commitments under the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement.

By the end of the month, we expect to hear the results of the dispute panel. TCPA is hopeful the panel rules that Mexico violated its commitments under the USMCA when it issued a decree that banned genetically modified corn imports in early 2023.

Since Mexico is an obvious integral player in the state’s corn market, a top market for U.S. corn, the number one agricultural export from the nation, TCPA has and will continue its efforts to keep corn markets open – particularly with our neighbor to the south.

Act Now

The countdown is on for this Congressional session. Time is of the essence. TCPA continues its efforts to push through these final items on its checklist for the year. We’re ensuring the farmer’s voice is heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill. 

How can you help?

  1. Join or renew your TCPA membership so the association can take the interests of Texas corn farmers to the lawmakers in D.C. and Austin throughout the year.
  2. Contact your representatives!
    • Encourage their support of a farm bill. 
    • Ask for their support for the economic disaster relief farmers need through the FARM Act. It’s equally important to offer a word of thanks to the 22 members who have already stepped up for farming families as cosponsors of this legislation – they need to know their constituents appreciate it!
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