The Agricultural Retailers Association has announced their public policy priorities for 2026. According to the ARA, these priorities are “designed to support America’s agricultural retailers, strengthen the nation’s food and input supply chains, and promote science-based, practical policy solutions that keep U.S. agriculture globally competitive.”
ARA’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy Richard Gupton said,“ARA’s 2026 policy priorities are built to safeguard the tools, technologies, and regulatory certainty that agricultural retailers and their farmer customers rely on every single day, From a modernized Farm Bill to science-driven pesticide oversight, resilient transportation networks, and a competitive rural economy, these are practical, forward-looking solutions that strengthen American agriculture. ARA will continue working with Congress, federal agencies, and industry partners to ensure ag retailers can operate with freedom and confidence.”
The ARA’s priorities include: the Farm Bill, modern agricultural technologies, stewardship and sustainability, economic growth, energy, transportation and infrastructure, labor and OSHA, and homeland security. According to the ARA, their “policy platform emphasizes preserving essential farm safety nets, protecting science?based pesticide regulations, expanding access to modern crop technologies, strengthening conservation and climate?smart programs, supporting rural workforce growth, and bolstering the infrastructure and energy systems that underpin the nation’s agricultural economy.”
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.