Ag bankers, farmers, and ranchers are pushing for the passage of the ACRE Act.
It could make lending cheaper for producers, a move the American Bankers Association says would have a big, positive impact across the economy.
“It’s a tax bill. So, in the context of agriculture, we always think Farm Bill right? But in reality, there are a lot of taxes that affect agriculture, the ACRE Act being one of those pieces of legislation that would change the tax code. So, to break it down, what it will do is it’ll change the tax code around agricultural farm real estate lending, rural housing, aquaculture, and fishery,” said Ed Elfman.
Elfman says the ACRE Act would allow farmers and ranchers to take advantage of cheaper borrowing rates. He says it is an idea that has been around for decades but never got much traction. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall helped author the bill, and he calls it “common sense legislation” that could reverse years of downward trends.
Reliance on vegetable imports remains uneven, with domestic production still anchoring several major categories.
Utah Senator John Curtis joins us for “Champions of Rural America” to discuss new legislation to improve forest management and wildfire prevention and its broader implications for rural communities and infrastructure.
NRECA CEO Jim Matheson joins us to discuss rural electric co-ops’ push for expanded USDA loan programs, rising energy demand from data center expansion, wildfire mitigation and other policy priorities impacting rural power infrastructure.
StoneX’s Josh Linville discusses USDA’s efforts to boost domestic fertilizer production and his outlook on supply and prices.
With the Farm Bill now in the Senate’s hands, industry groups say the stakes are high—and timely action could be critical for producers navigating a difficult economic environment.
Domestic demand policy may play a larger role if export competition continues to limit price recovery.
