MILWAUKEE (DTN) -- The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation told bankers on Wednesday that farm groups would push for a disaster relief and economic package as a higher priority in the lame-duck session of Congress than passing a farm bill.
Zippy Duvall, a Georgia farmer, spoke to the American Bankers Association's annual Agricultural Bankers Conference about policy issues and the incoming Trump administration. He said farmers need some financial support from Congress before they adjourn for the year.
"What we're really pushing forward is we need a disaster package, and we need an economic package," Duvall said.
Duvall noted it might take a "miracle" to get a five-year farm bill done in the lame-duck Congress. The current farm bill will likely get extended for another year to develop a bill early in the new Congress. But time can move slowly when drafting rules for a farm bill, Duvall noted. Even if Congress quickly passes a farm bill, the policy changes with reference prices or commodity support would take a year to 18 months to become effective. Farmers need aid sooner, he said.
"We've got to have an economic package to bind our farmers over until a new farm bill is passed and it goes into effect," Duvall said.
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., the incoming chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is among those in Congress advocating for financial aid for farmers tied to funding for recent natural disasters.
As DTN has reported, crop producers such as corn and soybean farmers are facing financial losses this year and in 2025. Pork producers also saw significant financial losses in 2023. Looking at disaster conditions, AFBF has highlighted roughly $20 billion in financial losses producers have seen since 2022 as well.
AG SECRETARY DUVALL?
Duvall's name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for agriculture secretary in the Trump administration. He noted he's been getting a lot of calls about that, but told the bankers, "I love my job."
Duvall jokingly clarified his comment with reporters. "I didn't say I didn't want to be (ag secretary). I just said I'm happy with my job."
He mentioned some of the names up for agriculture secretary whom he supports, including Ted McKinney, the CEO of the National Association of State Directors of Agriculture (NASDA) and a former USDA undersecretary; Indiana farmer Kip Tom, a former United Nations Food and Agriculture ambassador under President-elect Donald Trump; former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, a Texan and current lobbyist; and current House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa.
"GT would make an outstanding secretary," Duvall said. He added, "There's a lot of really good names out there for the president to pick from."
THE RFK JR FACTOR
Looking at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s role in the Trump administration, Duvall said AFBF leadership is concerned about some of the policies he advocates. Duvall said policy decisions should be made based on science. Kennedy has not been named in any official role, but Trump has said Kennedy would play a role, possibly in health. Kennedy has strong opinions on agriculture that include potentially more restrictions or bans on pesticides. Duvall pushed back on calls for more regulations in these areas.
"We go right back to where everybody should land, and that is we're going to depend on sound science to lead those decisions forward," Duvall said. "Our farmers and ranchers take those crop-protection tools that they use -- that a lot of people are against -- and they have gone through a strenuous testing -- for years and years through the federal departments to make sure they are safe. Our farmers apply them on their fields under a label and do it according to the label, and people shouldn't be scared of that. We should trust the system that we've got because we've got the best system in the world to test crop-protection tools."
TRUMP AND FARMERS
While Duvall expressed concerns about Kennedy, he said farmers have had experience with Trump. "He promised me when he was a candidate the first time that he would always be there for his farmers, and he proved that in the first four years he was there," Duvall said. "That might not have been exactly how our farmers wanted him to be there, but he put forth an effort to stand behind our farmers, and I don't expect him to see a second term any differently. I think before he lets anything disastrous happen in that arena that would hurt our farmers and ranchers, I think he would stand behind us."
Duvall also noted to bankers that Trump spoke multiple times at AFBF's annual meeting. The group has again sent Trump an invitation to speak at the conference in late January -- less than a week after Trump's inauguration.
ZELDIN AT EPA
Trump has nominated to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin.
Duvall said he hasn't had a chance to meet Zeldin, but said he looks forward to developing a relationship with Zeldin. From reports out of the New York Farm Bureau, Duvall said, "They think we'll be very pleased with him."
As DTN has reported, Zeldin had opposed the Renewable Fuel Standard in the past, which falls under EPA's oversight.
"That is one of our concerns," Duvall said. "Of course, any time somebody comes in there, we want to be able to get in front of them, talk about the merits of the issue, and make sure he understands not only what it does for farmers and ranchers, but what it does to the production of that and what it does for our rural communities."
POTENTIAL AG DEPORTATIONS
Duvall also said farmers are going to have to communicate their concerns about how Trump's team handles deportations and immigration.
"We're still yet to see how they plan on doing that," Duvall said. "Once we see their plan and how they try to put that in place, then we'll have a better way to have some input into it. And just like every administration, we'll find that key person we can communicate those issues through."
Trump has nominated South Dakota Gov. Krist Noem to head the Department of Homeland Security, which would take a lead on immigration enforcement.
Estimates range, but there are as many as 1 million workers in agriculture nationally who are in the country illegally. Those numbers are also likely significantly higher once all the food processing workers are added.
A secure border, however, also would make it harder for Congress to keep ignoring agricultural labor challenges. "If we can get the border secure, that takes Congress' excuse away," Duvall said.
Farmers have also increasingly relied on H-2A guest workers, a program that likely needs to expand just to keep up with the demands of farm labor.
"If we could have a farm-labor discussion, I think we could actually fix this problem with Congress and senators, but we can't have the discussion without it being intermingled with border security and a full immigration reform," Duvall said. "They really do need to be separate. The discussions really need to be separate because the needs of agriculture are so different from other businesses across the country."
Trump's message also won because of concerns over issues such as food inflation. Aggressive deportation or fear among undocumented workers would leave a lot of farmers without their labor and drive up food prices as a result.
"Labor costs have just skyrocketed and that makes it very difficult on the farm," Duvall said.
See "Financial Strain for Midwest Farms Could Demand Heightened Scrutiny From Bankers" here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…
Also see "Zeldin Opposed RFS as NY Congressman" here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….
Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com
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