Farm bill discussion expected later this month

U.S. House debate on a new farm bill has been set for Feb. 23-25, with a floor vote hoped for before the Easter recess. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson met with Republican committee members to discuss the legislation on Feb. 4, according to the National Potato Council. The proposed timeline places the markup at the center of the 2026 NPC Washington Summit. Bill components are expected to include:

• Pesticide Labeling: provisions to prevent states from requiring pesticide label warnings that conflict with EPA human health assessments.
• Regulatory uniformity: Measures to preempt state-level animal welfare laws and avoid a “50-state” impact on food labeling that Thompson says would increase consumer costs.
• Program management: Codifying the move of the Food for Peace program to the USDA.
• Technical updates: Reauthorizing the Conservation Reserve Program and increasing USDA loan limits.