U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) is hailing committee passage of the new Farm Bill making its way through Congress, saying it will be good for farmers in Alabama and across the country.

The House Agriculture Committee advanced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 out of committee Thursday.

“I’m proud to support this legislation as it moves forward and will continue working to secure a strong, commonsense Farm Bill for Alabama’s producers and rural communities,” Moore said.

This legislation includes Moore’s framework for modernizing the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), improving the accuracy and efficiency of the data farmers and policymakers rely on.

This modernization ensures that federal agricultural programs are informed by the most reliable information, helping producers make better decisions and compete in today’s markets.

“Alabama’s farmers deserve a modernized Farm Bill that strengthens their safety net, expands market opportunities, and provides the certainty they need to plan for the future,” he said.

“The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 delivers meaningful improvements to Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage programs, expands crop insurance options for specialty crops, and protects key commodities like cotton and peanuts that are vital to our state’s economy. It invests in rural broadband and small-town infrastructure, strengthens disaster assistance for producers facing hurricanes and drought, expands trade opportunities to keep American agriculture competitive, and modernizes the National Agricultural Statistics Service to ensure farmers and policymakers have accurate, timely data to make sound decisions.”

Other Key Provisions of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026:

• Commodity & Risk Management Programs
  • Updates Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) programs
  • Expands crop insurance options and introduces more flexible coverage for specialty crops
  • Includes protections for cotton, peanuts, and other row crops
• Rural Development & Infrastructure
  • Increased funding for rural broadband expansion and water systems
  • Support for small towns and local infrastructure improvements
  • Expanded loan and grant programs for rural businesses and family farms
• Specialty Crops & Local Food
  • Funding for peanut, cotton, and horticulture research and promotion
  • Support for farm-to-school programs and local food marketing initiatives
• Disaster Assistance & Preparedness
  • Expanded relief for losses due to hurricanes, droughts, floods, and extreme weather
  • Strengthened provisions for disaster prevention and resilience planning
• Trade & Market Expansion
  • Programs to assist farmers in exporting products
  • Efforts to improve domestic and international competitiveness of U.S. agriculture
• Nutrition & Food Security
  • Maintains Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) efficiency
  • Promotes healthy food access for schools and communities

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee