44th Ham and Egg Legislative Breakfast focuses on farm bill changes, concerns
The price of fertilizer increased 21% between 2024 and the end of 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Rising fertilizer costs and concerns over profitability are placing added pressure on Georgia farmers, according to agriculture leaders.
The price of fertilizer increased 21% between 2024 and the end of 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Keith Howard, dean of the College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology at Fort Valley State University, says profitability is one of the biggest challenges farmers are facing right now.
“They don’t get to fix the price. So, when those things go up, they feel it. So, we want to make sure that farmers are able to enjoy what they are doing (not that the work isn’t enjoyable), but in terms of profitability that’s important as well,” said Howard.
Ben Parker, national affairs coordinator with the Georgia Farm Bureau, says there needs to be a provision focused on “buying more American” in the current farm bill, meaning prioritizing the purchase of goods manufactured or produced within the United States. Parker says it would support more jobs and boost the economy.
“It’s really the number one step in ensuring that everyone gets the increase. So, rather you’re a large operation growing tens of thousands of acres, or a smaller family farm growing 50 to 100 acres, that provisions going to benefit a lot of people,” said Parker.
Because of recent natural disasters that moved through Georgia, Parker says legislators should ensure all farmers have hurricane insurance to provide immediate financial relief.
“So, looking into that program and looking through the data to see if there’s ever been instances where people should have triggered a payment but did not. That piece in the current version is going to go a long way to, that when farmers buy a program or coverage to ensure them, against natural disasters that they do in fact get paid out if they qualify,” said Parker.
To ensure future farmers have what they need, Parker says more financial help is a must.
“We want to see more young people involved in production agriculture. I think part of that is capital; farming costs a lot to get into. So, giving them higher loans, and more work for guarantee; rather it’s a farm ownership loan or an operating loan. Just giving them the resources to know they have a coalition of people just like them, that they can reach out to and say ‘hey how can I make this work, these are the problems I’m facing and how did you overcome’,” said Parker.
The House Agriculture Committee passed the 2026 farm bill on March 4 of this year in a 34-17 vote.
