2026 Fall Farm Outlook Lincoln Daily News Oct 2026 Page 7 How similar are the FFNSA 2026 from the House and the Agricultural Act of 2026 from the Senate? There are some areas that are similar or even identical, while other areas are quite different. For example, on the “Dairy Forward Pricing Program,” which gives authorization to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) diary pricing program, the two chambers are quite similar. The FFNSA 2026 removes the program’s end date, while the Agricultural Act of 2026 has small grammatical changes. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits are an area where there is some difference between the two chambers. The FFNSA 2026 looks to expand what foods would be eligible, adding things like rotisserie chicken and other “hot prepared foods.” The Agricultural Act of 2026, on the other hand, does not look to expand what foods can be purchased. Rather, its current language adds more strict requirements on where the SNAP money can be spent, including online-only companies. What do these bills say about farmers and agriculture? When it comes to the FFNSA 2026, it aims to keep many existing farm support programs in place. The bill continues Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), it changes some of the rules around crop insurance, and it adjusts the Tree Assistance Program to cover losses from pest infestations that make trees become unproductive. The Agricultural Act of 2026 has many of the same provisions, increasing premium crop insurance subsidies for veteran farmers and ranchers (as the FFNSA 2026 does) and continues the ARC and PLC programs. Additionally, both bills would provide assistance to farmers and ranchers experiencing droughts. What happens next? Both the House and the Senate would need to come together to negotiate a final farm bill. While the House has passed their bill, they must wait on the Senate to do the same before negotiations could officially begin. When will the Senate pass their bill? That is a question that is harder to answer. On September 16th, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed the Agriculture Act of 2026. This is only the committee and not the full Senate. It now needs to be scheduled for a full Senate vote. According to an article from the National Association of Counties, “Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman anticipates a floor vote after the midterm elections in November. Will the results of the election impact the Agriculture Act of 2026? It is highly likely that it will, but to say which way is impossible at
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