PERRY, KATC - The future of American farming is at a critical crossroads as a key piece of legislation, the 2018 Farm Bill, expired on September 30, 2024, leaving farmers across the country anxious about their financial survival.
Allen McLain, a second-generation rice farmer in Vermilion Parish, said the current farm bill—originally passed six years ago—is no longer adequate to address the economic challenges facing today’s farmers.
"We're still going off a 2018 farm bill which is almost obsolete because it’s not reflecting the true commodity prices and the true import costs,” McLain said. “It’s hard to compete and make do with what we need to survive to pay for our costs and equipment. Nothing is getting any cheaper, it all goes up where we need help.”
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, farm income dropped by 23 percent in 2022, signaling the financial strain many farmers are under.
“If you keep getting farmers out of business, where are you going to get your food and local goods?” McLain said, echoing concerns that more farmers could continue to struggle without immediate legislative intervention.
The 2018 Farm Bill, which was bipartisan and widely supported, provided essential protections for farmers, including funding to help offset costs during economic hardships, crop insurance, and trade development. However, with its expiration, there is no guarantee that a new farm bill will pass soon.
Experts at the Farm Bureau project that rice farmers could face losses of between $35,000 and $66,000 in 2025 if a new farm bill is not enacted.
“Without that, it’s almost like telling us to put ourselves on the backburner and fend for ourselves,” McLain said.
As the 2024 election cycle ramps up and new officials are elected, McLain and other farmers are sounding the alarm to raise public awareness about the risks they face.
“We’re trying to get public attention to let people know what’s happening,” McLain said. “With the election and the change of officials, who knows what’s going to happen.”
Farmers like McLain are urging swift action to secure a farm bill that ensures the nation's food supply remains stable and sustainable.
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