Supporting Arkansas Farming and the Future of Agriculture

Food, fiber and fuel are all vital to a healthy life and economy. But they don't just appear out of thin air.

They are the product of long hours and hard work that farm families in Arkansas, and around our country, put in to ensure we continue enjoying access to the safe, abundant and affordable staples we need in our homes and businesses.

We can never lose sight of the faces and stories behind that effort.

They are real-life, salt of the earth men and women who, along with their children and grandchildren, are at the heart of every rural community. And we count on them to deliver harvest after harvest.

That dedication comes through every time I interact with Natural State farmers, ranchers, ag lenders and others across the industry. It informs the work I have done in the Senate to support them, including ensuring their voices and priorities are at the forefront of any policy debate that impacts their livelihood.

Whether as a rank-and-file member or leader of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I have always been an ally of farm country because it is the backbone of America. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with producers and insisting that their needs are being met is an honor.

We have made much progress on that front in recent months.

Amid dire circumstances brought on by increased input costs, high interest rates, depressed commodity prices and severe weather events - and while operating under the outdated policies of a 2018 Farm Bill - we have partnered together on solutions to address these challenges. I am proud to have led calls for federal assistance to support farmers' long-term outlook and secured supplemental funding to alleviate the burdens created by these economic and natural disasters.

Last December, Congress approved a combined $30 billion for an Emergency Commodity Assistance Program and disaster assistance payments for weather-related losses. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture rolled out the emergency lifeline while it also works to execute delivery of disaster relief funds in two phases. This assistance will go a long way in ensuring our agriculture industry remains strong.

But that is not all. We then fought hard to include key updates and improvements to the farm safety net in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Farmers in Arkansas and across the country had been calling for these reforms for years, and together we delivered a modernized safety net and risk management tools that will provide the certainty they need.

This was no small feat and would not have been achieved without the steadfast, vocal support of the ag community. That proactive approach and our strong partnership are what make these successes possible.

Now, even with record-breaking yields and incredible productivity, our farmers are still struggling and asking what can be done to get them through this difficult time. As we have in the past, we will continue advocating for the resources they need to ensure family farms are viable next planting season and beyond.

Whether it's helping spur swift implementation of the transformative provisions we have already successfully passed or encouraging the Trump administration to look at the tools it has available right now to help address immediate challenges, we are committed to fighting for and protecting farm families in their hour of need.

We must never forget that food security is national security. I am grateful to stand with and for the men, women and children of farm country who provide that for us without fail.

Permalink: https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/9/supporting-arkansas-farming-and-the-future-of-agriculture