A coalition of 56 agricultural organizations has sent a letter to Congress highlighting the growing financial strain facing America’s farmers and ranchers. The groups warn that current economic conditions have reached a critical point, threatening the stability of rural communities and the nation’s agricultural production.
In the letter, the coalition underscores the severity of the situation, stating that, “An alarming number of farmers are financially underwater, farm bankruptcies continue to climb, and many farmers may have difficulty securing financing to grow their next crop.” According to the groups, record-high input costs combined with declining crop prices have resulted in nationwide losses approaching $100 billion.
Beyond farm-level impacts, the letter points to broader market challenges, including growing trade deficits and declining U.S. shares of global agricultural sales. As the coalition explains, “These trends aren’t just statistics; they represent an economic crisis in rural America.” The groups argue that without swift congressional action, the financial stress already weighing on producers could deepen further.
The letter does acknowledge recent efforts to provide relief. The coalition expresses appreciation for provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill and for payments distributed through the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program. However, the groups emphasize that existing assistance has not been sufficient to offset accumulated losses. They write that current programs “do not cover the extensive and cumulative losses that farmers have absorbed over the last several years.”
Even when accounting for multiple safety net programs, the coalition says financial gaps remain. “Even after including crop insurance, farm bill programs, support from the FBA program, the 2024 Emergency Commodity Assistance Program and the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, losses for principal crops and specialty crops remain deep. This is why Congress needs to act.”
The coalition is calling for immediate economic support to help bridge the remaining losses affecting both specialty crop and field crop farmers. Signatories to the letter include major agricultural organizations such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, Florida Sugar Cane League, Florida Tomato Exchange, Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Cotton Council, National Pecan Federation, U.S. Peanut Federation, and others.
Together, the groups stress that timely action by Congress is essential to stabilize farm income and protect the future of U.S. agriculture.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.