The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry advanced its version of the Farm Bill on 16 September, approving multiple provisions meant to support the domestic seafood industry.
The Farm Bill is the main piece of legislation dictating U.S. agriculture policy, and the seafood industry has pushed to use the latest Farm Bill renewal as a mechanism to ensure more support for the domestic fishing and seafood sectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The last Farm Bill was approved in 2018 and expired in 2023, but lawmakers have continuously extended the legislation following multiple failed renewal attempts.
Congress has made another push to renew the Farm Bill this year. The Senate Republican-authored bill was approved in a 12-11 party-line vote, clearing the legislation for consideration by the full Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Farm Bill in May, and the two bodies will need to align the two versions before sending it on to U.S. President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
“Farm country is hurting and needs results now. Advancing this bill out of committee is a critical step toward getting a fully updated Farm Bill sig...