News & Views: Government Affairs Update Spring 2026

As planting season progresses, attention in Washington remains focused on policies that could directly impact rice producers and the broader agricultural economy.

First, discussions around additional farmer assistance continue. While no final decisions have been made, lawmakers are increasingly aware of ongoing cost pressures, particularly for inputs and interest rates. Discussions around additional farmer assistance continue to gain traction, including a $17 billion framework led by Senator Boozman and Senator Hoeven; however, the proposal will ultimately need to hitch a ride on an appropriations vehicle, which has yet to be determined. While support was needed before the conflict in Iran and the broader instability in the Middle East, those developments have only heightened the cost of production and added even more strain on farmers across the nation, especially for crops like rice that depend heavily on fertilizer and fuel.

Second, there has been meaningful movement on the Farm Bill. The legislation advanced through the House Agriculture Committee in March by a vote of 34-17 and has now passed the full House by a vote of 224-200, marking an important step forward after months of delay. While many of rice’s top priorities were addressed in last summer’s reconciliation package, moving this Farm Bill forward remains an important step for the agriculture industry. From here, the bill will head to the Senate, where Chairman Boozman and the Senate Ag Committee are targeting markup in late May or early June. The path through the Senate will require bipartisan support and careful negotiation before any final agreement is reached.

Finally, the U.S. rice industry, including Riceland, is actively advocating for a Section 301 investigation into rice imports. Ensuring a level playing field in both global and our domestic markets remains a top priority, and Section 301 is seen as the best near-term path to address import pressures that continue to erode our domestic market share. This issue has been a topic of conversation at some of the highest levels of USDA and USTR, and we have also seen support from members of Congress, including a letter led by Rep. Rick Crawford in April. We will continue pressing on all of these fronts and keep the membership informed.

Ben Noble
Executive Vice President & COO

Adam Shea
VP, Government Affairs & Sustainability