WASHINGTON D.C. (KXXV) — Central Texas farmers are calling on Congress to pass the long-awaited federal farm bill as rising fuel and fertilizer costs — driven in part by the conflict with Iran — put pressure on already tight agricultural operations.
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The 2026 Farm Food and National Security Act, also known as the farm bill, passed the U.S. House at the end of April. Within the past couple of weeks, it has begun making progress in the Senate, where the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee is expected to produce an approved draft by late June.
The nearly 1,000-page bill covers farm regulations, subsidies, environmental issues and the future of SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps.
John Evans raises cattle and corn in Bell County and is also trying to expand his business with his Wilson Valley Mercantile tasting room. In May, he joined dozens of other farmers with the Texas Farm Bureau in Washington, meeting with lawmakers including Rep. Pete Sessions and calling for help with a range of issues.
"Farmers are in a tight spot. The Ag economy is having a hard time," Evans said.
Evans said the difference in fuel costs alone has become a significant burden.
"The difference between buying fuel in April and buying fuel in June is about $2000 for the same amount of fuel, so it puts a pinch on an operation that's already tight running anyway," Evans said.
Sessions, a Republican who represents the Waco area, said the cost pressures facing farmers are clear.
"Fertilizer and the cost of fuel are two of the biggest problems," Sessions said.
Sessions said that as the Trump administration wrestles with oil prices and tariffs, Congress can provide farmers with stability they urgently need.
"We've given them a bill that would be highly devoted to the confidence of farmers and ranchers. It can be done off the model that we gave them," Sessions said.
Evans said food security is central to why the farm bill matters.
"Food is a national security issue and the farm bill helps protect our ability to make food for ourselves," Evans said.
Evans said rising beef prices have offered some relief for beef sellers like him, even as he faces challenges on other fronts. He also said the political climate in Washington feels different now.
"It feels like right now we've got an ear that will listen to us and help us. It feels like we get listened to more," Evans said.
I spoke with Sessions in Washington, where the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee is expected to release an approved draft of the farm bill by late June.
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