WASHINGTON (KFGO) – North Dakota Farmers Union members are in our nation’s capital pressing Congress to pass a farm bill to address challenges facing family farmers and ranchers.
“From high fuel, fertilizer and other input costs to low commodity prices and unfair markets, farmers are struggling to make ends meet,” said North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue. “Congress needs to pass a farm bill that reflects the economic realities family farmers and ranchers face today.”
NDFU pointed to a dire situation by citing U.S. Department of Agriculture information expecting net farm income and net cash farm income to decrease by as much as $9.1 billion this year compared to a decrease of $4.6 billion in 2025.
Perdue said any benefit from higher prices forecasted for corn and soybeans will likely be eaten up by high input costs, which are expected to climb by 4.5%.
Farmers Union members want Congress to strengthen and enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act to address meat market concentration, reinstate mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef and to authorize year-round sale of nationwide E15 fuel.
The House has passed its version of the farm bill. It’s stalled in the Senate Agriculture Committee where a mark-up on the legislation tied multiple times on party lines last month. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell didn’t vote as he’s been recovering after falling and receiving treatment for pneumonia for more than 90 days.
Democrats want a compromise on a One Big Beautiful Act Provision requiring states to pay for part of their SNAP program if they have payment error rates higher than 6%.
