The program now includes compensation for unborn livestock deaths, with increased funding for livestock disease prevention through the Animal Health Protection Act.
The Dairy Margin Coverage program, which helps dairy farmers cope with market price swings, has been extended until 2031.
The bill also adjusts premium costs, offering larger dairy farms producing between five and six million pounds of milk annually reduced premium rates—benefiting medium-scale factory farms the most.
The bill introduces a directive for the USDA to develop a pilot insurance program for contract poultry farmers, providing coverage for rising utility costs caused by extreme weather. This move acknowledges the financial strain often experienced by contract poultry growers.
On top of these changes, the megabill increases crop insurance funding by $6.3 billion over ten years, raises payment limits, removes income caps, and enhances reference prices. It also introduces new tax benefits for farmers and boosts agricultural trade promotion funding.
The SNAP program faces cuts in federal funding, stricter eligibility rules, and increased work requirements—changes likely to impact access to healthy food for many American families.
With many typical farm bill provisions absorbed into the megabill, the need for a comprehensive farm bill remains in question. Yet, key policies like the suspension of outdated price support laws still require urgent attention.
The megabill’s emphasis on aiding large-scale meat and dairy operations continues a government trend of supporting factory farms at public expense, with little focus on sustainability or equity.