Cotton growers on Farm Bill: “There’s an appetite to work together”

The House Ag Committee passed its version of the Farm Bill during the last Congress, but it gained no traction in the Senate. Now, cotton growers are paying attention as this session gets underway.

“And so I think there’ll be some really unique demographics that get to really parlay together, really work together, and come together more so than some of the dynamics we saw going into the end of the 118th and the new 119th Congress that is just now getting started. There’s a lot of appetite, I would say, to really come together, and work together to enhance the policy that we have on the books today,” said Plain Cotton Growers CEO Kody Bessent.

Bessent also points to tax reform as another area they want to be addressed. The 2017 tax cuts will sunset later this year, leaving much of the ag community waiting for answers. President-elect Trump has said extending those cuts will be his top priority this year.

Related Stories
As ag lawmakers in the Senate await the House vote on the Farm Bill, they are eager to discuss the challenges farmers face before it is their turn to take up the critical legislation.
House ag leaders had hoped to get the Farm Bill voted on by Easter, but no dates have been secured just yet.
OHFB President Bill Patterson shares an update from Washington on the group’s policy priorities and the issues shaping agriculture ahead of the 2026 planting season.
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Kansas congressman Dan Glickman joined RFD News to share his outlook on agricultural policy, bipartisan cooperation, and the challenges facing farmers today.
The bill has already cleared the House Agriculture Committee and is headed toward a full House vote, but the timeline for final passage remains unclear. But the question is, when exactly? Could it possibly be a nice little gift for Easter?
UNL student fellow Alison Walbrecht shares her perspective on building support for agricultural research, extension, and teaching while gaining hands-on insight into federal policymaking.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

As the White House works to close the trade gap, patience is wearing thin for some lawmakers. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says farmers are getting backed into a corner.
The Arkansas Farm Bureau takes us there for a tour of the facility that will expand livestock education in a key agricultural region.
The Cotton Jassid previously detected in Georgia has now made its way to the Lone Star State.
RealAg Radio host Sean Haney joins us for a Canadian perspective on President Trump’s controversial tariff rollout, lower court rulings, and upcoming review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Interior Department is proposing to repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule. This move would make huge strides to empower local decision-making and restore balance between conservation and protecting rural livelihoods tied to these public lands.