Farmers across Southeast and South Central Missouri have been dealing with some of the most difficult economic circumstances in a generation in recent years, which is why President Trump and House Republicans have made it such a priority to help farmers in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. The legislation included the first increase to reference prices in two decades years, and this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that money is finally getting to the farmers who need it.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage will send roughly $13.8 billion to producers for the 2025 crop year, a payout that is by far the biggest since these programs began. According to the USDA, Missouri farmers will receive $493 million, which is $133 million more than they would have had without that transformative legislation. The President and I fought for that after years of Washington falling short for farmers, and I’ll continue fighting to do so.

But we also must be honest about where things stand. A safety net payment doesn’t fix a tough balance sheet and the underlying problem. Prices are low, costs are high, and farmers are still being squeezed. This is a step forward, but more must be done. When I talk to Missourians, there are three things I consistently hear as concerns: the cost of food, fuel, and fertilizer.

Fertilizer is a good example. USDA puts it at 36 percent of a corn producer’s operating costs, and for years, tariffs on Moroccan phosphate squeezed the supply American farmers rely on. A University of Missouri study projects Missouri farmers will spend more than $1.5 billion on fertilizer and related soil inputs in 2026, an increase of more than 50 percent since 2020. That’s why I led a congressional delegation to Morocco, the world’s largest phosphate supplier, to fight for lower fertilizer costs. I brought what I learned straight to the administration, and in June President Trump suspended the tariffs for eight months to get phosphate flowing again.

Then there’s diesel, which has climbed above $6 a gallon in the middle of harvest. I applaud Governor Mike Kehoe for signing an executive order on Sept. 30 that lets Missouri farmers run dyed diesel on state highways. I spoke with President Trump to encourage him to allow dyed diesel to be used by farmers, ranchers, and the entire agriculture community and was thrilled this week when he signed an executive order deferring the federal excise tax on on-road dyed diesel through the end of the year. I applaud the President and Governor Kehoe for putting farmers first, and look forward to providing permanent relief for the hardworking Americans who need it.

At the same time, I am doing everything in my power to open new markets for American agriculture, provide relief at the pump, and ensure the men and women who feed our nation pay less to Uncle Sam. Under the previous administration, farmers watched as an agricultural surplus was turned into a deficit, while the administration also declined to negotiate new trade agreements to open markets for their crops. Under President Trump, we are already moving the needle to turn the agriculture economy around. USDA projects the agriculture trade deficit this year will fall by nearly $20 billion below the year before, and department officials credit the trade agreements that President Trump has signed.

Just as positively, the President’s trade agenda is starting to deliver results for farmers in the form of more access to foreign markets which have used both tariff and non-tariff barriers to restrict American goods. Australia agreed to accept American beef for the first time in two decades. Japan committed to expand its quota for U.S. rice by 75 percent. Taiwan is dropping its tariffs on nearly all American farm goods in an agreement that builds on a law the Ways and Means Committee passed. These are just a few of the wins we’ve seen for American farmers. And there’s more on the way.  It’s my highest privilege to fight for farmers, families, and small businesses in Washington.