WASHINGTON — Though it’s been barely a week since the 119th Congress convened, with Republicans in control of both the House and the Senate for the first time since 2019, food industry groups already are rallying around a shared concern: a new farm bill.

The existing farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, covers a range of programs from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food access for low-income families, to crop insurance for farmers, commodity price loss protection and conservation work. It became law in December 2018 and was set to expire in 2023 — the farm bill historically is renegotiated every five years — but has gone through multiple extensions. Most recently, the bill was extended through Sept. 30 of this year as part of measures to avert a government shutdown in late December 2024.

“For many farmers, the disaster relief provided will be the difference between planting for another year or going out of business,” Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), said of the extension. “(It) offers a short reprieve and gives lawmakers some breathing room to pass a modernized farm bill that will provide risk management support.”

Two Republican lawmakers involved in the extension are now primary players in the next farm bill’s fate. Representative Glenn (GT) Thompson of Pennsylvania will continue as chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, while Senator John Boozman of Arkansas has taken the reins of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, after serving as ranking member in the previous Congress.

Meanwhile, Democrats are welcoming two new ranking members to lead their agriculture committee efforts, both from Minnesota. Representative Angie Craig of Minnesota has replaced Democratic Representative David Scott of Georgia as ranking member of the House committee, and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is now ranking member on the Senate committee.

“I hope to move quickly to enact a five-year farm bill that aligns the farm safety net with the needs of producers, among many other policies, to minimize the need for annual economic aid,” Thompson said. “I appreciate the partnership of incoming-Chairman Boozman, as well as members and stakeholders, all who quickly and effectively highlighted the needs in farm country.”

The original farm bill took shape in the 1930s as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation. Its intention was to keep food prices fair for farmers and consumers, to stabilize US food supply and to protect natural resources. It has since grown to include rural development, forestry, energy and biofuels, and nutrition assistance — the last of which makes up a vast majority of the program’s costs.

A key sticking point in the ongoing farm bill negotiations is the inclusion of SNAP benefits, which some fiscal conservatives view as an entitlement program. Of the current farm bill’s original $428 billion value, more than $325 billion, or 76%, is devoted to nutrition assistance through SNAP, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture and the Congressional Budget Office. That compares to 9% that’s tabbed for crop insurance, 7% for commodity price loss coverage and 7% for conservation efforts.

Craig, who describes herself as “the granddaughter of an Arkansas farm foreman” and “someone who grew up relying on nutrition assistance,” said she is committed to preserving SNAP benefits as a new farm bill takes shape.

“We can strengthen the farm safety net … and we can ensure that nutrition assistance programs are available for the Americans who need them,” Craig said.

With Democrats previously in control of the Senate, another hangup in farm bill negotiations had been liberal efforts under the Green New Deal to expand environmental protections as part of any new legislation. The latest extension largely was light on those elements, and it’s likely Republican leaders will work to cap their expansion now that they control both chambers.

“We are deeply discouraged by the political decision to limit countless farmers’ ability to build both their productivity and resilience against future disasters,” said Mike Lavender, policy director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. “Beginning in early 2025, agriculture committee and congressional leaders must prioritize a bipartisan farm bill reauthorization that recoups the remaining fraction of the conservation investment left on the table by this deal.”

Food industry groups with farm bill interests already have begun lobbying the new Congress and committee leaders, expressing a range of priorities. But all are focused on getting a five-year farm bill done sooner than later, after years of lawmakers kicking the can down the road.

“In the House Agriculture Committee, Chairman GT Thompson will start with the farm bill he completed last year,” said Nick Pyle, president of the Independent Bakers Association (IBA). “Based on the discussion IBA conducted today with his office, we can look for a bill and hearings starting in March. They are hopeful to move a farm bill quickly and finish in the first session of the 119th Congress.”

Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), praised lawmakers for extending the current bill through September but said his organization is pressing for a swift overhaul.

“NAWG urges lawmakers to work quickly to pass a farm bill that strengthens the farm safety net and provides long-term certainty for producers and rural America,” Goule said.

Among industry groups’ common priorities are improving infrastructure, sparing food and ingredient producers from backlash to any new tariffs enacted by President-elect Donald Trump, and bolstering price protection for farmers amid historically low and declining commodity prices.

“The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) will continue to advocate for smart investments in the agricultural transportation infrastructure, and we will seek to create new opportunities for US agriculture abroad by targeting problematic trade barriers in other countries,” said Michael Seyfert, president and CEO of the NGFA. “There is a lot to do, but we are eager to work alongside the new administration and the 119th Congress.”

Jack Pettus, chairman of the American Sugar Alliance, added, “At a time when so much is at stake for American agriculture, we welcome the leadership of these lawmakers who understand the challenges facing our family farmers and are committed to a vibrant US sugar industry. As input costs rise and financial pressures intensify, support for our sugar beet and sugar cane farmers is more important than ever.”

The American Bakers Association has reached out to lawmakers and the incoming administration with an emphasis on three areas, said Rasma Zvaners, vice president of government relations at the ABA, including “preserving essential provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, fostering a fair and productive regulatory environment for the workforce, and maintaining the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”

“As a cornerstone of the manufacturing sector and a vital part of the food supply chain, the commercial baking industry plays a critical role in fostering economic growth, supporting American families, and ensuring food security in communities nationwide,” Zvaners said. “ABA looks forward to collaborating with the incoming administration to prioritize policies that promote innovation, strengthen the workforce, and maintain the resilience of our nation’s economy.”

One industry that has scored early points with new committee leadership is dairy. The bipartisan duo of Thompson and Craig already have co-sponsored a bill, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, that would restore whole and 2% milk in federal school meal programs for the first time in a decade. A similar measure failed to advance through the Senate in 2023. Minnesota, which Craig and her Senate counterpart Klobuchar represent, is seventh in the nation in milk production.