Farm Bill

The Farm Bill is critical to ensure vibrancy and productivity in agriculture, the U.S. economy and rural communities for generations to come.

What is the Farm Bill?

The Farm Bill is a comprehensive package addressing agriculture, conservation, rural development, research and food assistance. It links the food that Americans feed their families, the farmers who produce it and the air, water and soil that makes growing food possible. Updated every five years, the Farm Bill has a big impact on farming livelihoods, local economies, public health and the environment.  The current Farm Bill was signed into law at the end of 2018 and expires in September 2023.

Farmer Perspective

Economic viability is a deep concern for many sectors in agriculture, especially with declining farm incomes and low prices of recent years. Farmers must be profitable, so they can continue to provide the food Americans need. For the egg industry, the challenges of recent years have included not only the ups and downs of market prices but the devastation of the highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Keeping animals healthy and food safe must be a priority in every Farm Bill. As part of the Animal Agriculture Coalition (AAC), egg farmers and industry advocates were successful in securing the funding needed to support these priorities. Specifically, the current farm bill provides $300 million in mandatory funding and establishes a permanent spending authority.  These funds are being used to safeguard livestock and poultry from the introduction and spread of animal diseases through investments in emergency preparedness, analysis and surveillance, and education and outreach. In addition, funding is provided to enhance the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank to help safeguard against a potentially debilitating impact on livestock and grain farmers.

UEP Position

The United Egg Producers applaud the Conferees work on the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill. We extend our thanks to the House Agriculture Committee and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for successfully producing a bipartisan farm bill that supports animal health and animal agriculture.  The 2018 Farm Bill builds upon the existing authority and establishes a National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) to protect our flocks from diseases and increase emergency preparedness capabilities.

Other Current Issues