Jackson touts local victories in Farm Bill

Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) last week championed Texas’ agriculture priorities during the House Committee on Agriculture’s markup of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 — commonly known as the Farm Bill.

The 2026 Farm Bill ensures agriculture producers have the tools necessary to face the challenges of the modern agricultural industry.

“As the Representative for the number one agriculture district in Texas, I know firsthand that an updated Farm Bill is long overdue,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson. “Our farmers and ranchers in TX-13 work tirelessly to feed and fuel this nation, and they deserve policies that provide them the certainty needed to remain in operation for generations to come. I’m proud to have secured key wins for our district and for the agriculture industry as a whole, and I look forward to getting this Farm Bill across the finish line and signed into law.”

Jackson worked to include provisions that:

Updates and modernizes USDA farm loan limits to reflect real-world land values and rising input costs, increasing Guaranteed Operating Loans to $3 million and Guaranteed Ownership Loans to $3.5 million;

Allows distressed guaranteed loans to be refinanced into direct loans, helping family farmers and ranchers navigate high-interest-rate environments and volatile commodity markets while maintaining operational stability;

Streamlines experience requirements for beginning farmers and ranchers to expand access to credit for new agricultural producers;

Establishes a pre-approval pilot program for ownership and operating loans to streamline producer’s access to capital;

Strengthens the Farm Credit System and expands partnership flexibility with community lenders to finance essential rural facilities, including health care, childcare, and emergency services infrastructure;

Integrates precision agriculture technologies into Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), expanding cost-share support for water conservation, irrigation efficiency, and innovative soil health practices;

and Maintains the statutory 50 percent livestock allocation within EQIP, ensuring cattle producers in the Texas Panhandle remain prioritized under working lands conservation programs.

In terms of Rural Development, the act invests in rural water and wastewater infrastructure through zero- and low-interest loans, principal forgiveness for distressed systems, emergency assistance grants, and codification of the Circuit Rider Program; and reauthorizes and strengthens rural broadband programs, raises minimum speed standards, prioritizes truly unserved areas, and limits overbuilding to ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars while expanding high-speed connectivity across rural America.