Why Missouri agriculture needs urgent Action from Congress to survive today's economic crisis

By Jeff Blair, President & CEO of GreenPoint Ag 

Farming has never been easy, but today Missouri’s producers face an economic climate unlike any in recent memory. From labor shortages and soaring input costs to shifting trade lanes and the lack of a new, five-year Farm Bill, uncertainty has become the one constant. And it’s taking a toll on farm families and rural communities alike.

At GreenPoint Ag, we see it every day. We’re an agricultural retailer over 900 employees and 101 locations across ten southern states, including six here in Missouri. Our team works shoulder to shoulder with producers across the Ozarks, the Bootheel, and beyond. And while no two operations are the same, the worries we hear are strikingly similar.

Farmers aren’t just watching the weather anymore. They’re wondering if they’ll have the workforce to get crops in the ground, the markets to sell them, and a long-term Farm Bill support to keep food moving to grocery shelves.

We must first get out of the immediate crisis. Congressional leaders must prioritize passing an economic assistance package to assist U.S. farmers struggling to make ends meet. Then we must get to work on long-term solutions – anchored by a new, five-year farm bill – so farmers have the certainty they need to plan for the future.

Labor shortages are among the most urgent problems. Missouri farmers have raised wages and offered year-round work, but too often still can’t find the help they need. The H-2A visa system was built for a different era. It doesn’t reflect the technical, year-round demands of modern agriculture. If Congress fails to fix it, productivity – and profitability –will continue to suffer.

Trade instability adds another layer of strain. One in three rows of U.S. corn and one in four rows of soybeans are sold overseas. When trade disputes erupt, prices fall, and farmers pay twice: first for higher inputs, then again when they sell into weaker markets. We need stable, forward-looking trade relationships to protect our rural economies and America’s food security.

What Missouri’s farmers need most is certainty. Congress can provide this certainty immediately by passing an economic assistance package. Policymakers can also utilize the time provided by the recent Farm Bill extension to develop a new, five-year Farm Bill next year that supports profitability, strengthens our workforce and opens new markets.

We need trade policies that reward, not punish, U.S. producers and immigration solutions that match the labor realities on the ground. Farmers need the confidence to plan, invest and hire without fear of disruption.

The good news is that support for agriculture still runs deep and across party lines. Missouri’s congressional delegation knows that farming isn’t just a business, it’s the backbone of our state. But recognition alone isn’t enough. Farmers need action, and they need it soon.

Farming is about more than crops or markets. It’s about families, communities and the enduring values that define rural America. The future of Missouri’s farms and of American agriculture itself depends on the choices Congress makes right now.