BAKERSFIELD, CALIF. (RFD NEWS) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is heading to California today to meet with specialty crop producers and discuss recent USDA efforts aimed at supporting the industry.
Rollins is scheduled to tour a potato farm near Bakersfield alongside U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-CA, District 21). The visit will focus on recent actions the department has taken to strengthen America’s specialty crop sector and support producers facing ongoing economic pressures.
The secretary is expected to speak at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
California remains the nation’s largest producer of specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other high-value commodities that play a major role in U.S. agriculture and exports.
RFD News will continue monitoring the event and provide updates tonight on Rural Evening News and online.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging Congress to move quickly on reforms to the farm safety net, warning that mounting economic pressures are threatening the viability of family farm operations across the country.
NFU Vice President of Advocacy Mike Stranz joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss a recent letter sent to Senate leadership outlining the organization’s concerns and policy priorities.
In his interview with RFD News, Stranz said farmers are facing mounting pressure from higher fertilizer and fuel costs, combined with weak commodity prices. He noted that farm bankruptcies are continuing to rise as producers struggle with tight margins and ongoing uncertainty across the ag economy.
“We’re seeing higher and higher input costs — whether that’s on fertilizer or fuel — and we have a weak commodity market before us right now, with low prices seeming to be the norm,” Stranz told RFD News. “So, with all those factors coming together, we’re seeing farm bankruptcies on the rise and not a lot of hope in the offing right now. That’s why we need some updates to the farm safety net.”
Stranz also discussed the more than $100 billion spent on ad hoc agricultural emergency assistance programs over the past decade, arguing that the reactive approach creates uncertainty for producers trying to plan ahead. He said the National Farmers Union is calling for a more proactive and reliable farm safety net that gives farmers greater certainty before economic challenges escalate.
“The weather and prices are uncertain enough. We shouldn’t have policy that’s uncertain, too,” he continued.
Stranz outlined the group’s support for the Inventory Management Soil Enhancement Tool, or IMSET, which would allow producers to place some marginal acres into conservation uses such as cover crops or temporary fallow ground at times when commodity prices are low and input costs are high. He said the approach could help ease financial pressure while also supporting soil health and conservation efforts.
Finally, Stranz discussed the importance of the ongoing farm bill process and warned that continued reliance on temporary ad hoc assistance programs could leave farmers facing additional uncertainty in the years ahead.
“I think we’re at a critical moment here, not just because of the economic conditions, but because of where we are in the farm bill process,” Stranz said. “While there were some improvements to the farm safety net last year through the reconciliation bill that passed Congress, we need more than that. We need to make sure that we have, like you said, a proactive farm safety net — not one that just responds or requires Congress or the administration to take special action to help.”
Stranz said the farm safety net needs to be built on consistency rather than ad hoc reactionary measures.
“We need a safety net all the time, not just occasionally,” he said. “If we keep having these ad hoc programs after ad hoc programs and we don’t take action to help get out ahead of some of these low prices, we’re going to continue to have the political pressure and uncertainty for farmers while waiting for Congress or the administration to move ahead on some sort of ad hoc program.”
Finally, Stranz discussed the reforms the organization is calling for, the feedback lawmakers provided in response to the letter, and what could be at stake for family farms if these changes are not addressed.
“Family farmers and ranchers need the ability to use the risk management tools before them, whether that’s in the markets, what they’re buying for inputs, or certainly what sorts of programs they’re taking part in,” he said. “We need to — and we can — do better when it comes to farm policy. The challenges are different from farm to farm, but at the end of the day, I think every farmer wants to be able to plan and have certainty, which is what this is all about.”
