The future of the next farm bill continues to be cloudy, as some analysts doubt one could get out the door even in 2024. Jonathan Coppess, an associate professor and director of the Gardner Agriculture Policy Program at the University of Illinois, says it will be “extraordinarily difficult” to get a farm bill done in 2024.

Budget disputes could be exacerbated if the House Agriculture Committee doesn’t move swiftly in these first few weeks. January 19 and February 2 are both deadlines that could trigger full or partial government shutdowns.

Meanwhile, corn growers in Illinois shared at the Farm Assets Conference in Champaign that their first priority is protecting crop insurance and then increasing Mark Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMP) funding. Coppess shares that the farm bill debate provides an opportunity to get creative about funding, especially as farmers voice support for effective risk-management assistance.

Read more on the farm bill debate and demand for crop insurance here.