Central ND News

The Senate has approved the Fiscal Year 2026 agriculture appropriations bill as part of a legislative package aimed at reopening the federal government. Senator John Hoeven, who serves as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, played a key role in negotiating and advancing this legislation.

In a statement, Hoeven highlighted the bipartisan nature of the bill's passage and its adherence to regular legislative procedures. “We advanced this year’s agriculture funding legislation through regular order, showing that we can support our priorities and find savings to reduce the debt and deficit, while securing bipartisan support both in committee and on the Senate floor. That’s the right way to approach our appropriations work, and this agreement to re-open government helps us get that process moving again,” said Hoeven.

He also emphasized the bill’s focus on supporting agricultural research initiatives at North Dakota State University (NDSU), Grand Farm, and their partners. “Importantly, we worked to ensure our ag funding legislation supports the innovative research being conducted by NDSU, Grand Farm and their partners. At the same time, this bill supports better access to credit and the services our producers rely on at FSA. This is important not only as harvest wraps up, but as we work to advance an ag assistance bill to provide a bridge to help producers until the new reference prices come into effect.”

Key provisions include nearly $2.5 million for NDSU’s Agricultural Risk Policy Center—raising total secured funding since FY2024 to about $6.5 million—and $5 million for an AgTech Cooperative Agreement involving Grand Farm, NDSU, and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Of this amount, $2 million will go toward establishing an ARS work site at Grand Farm. The Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center in Fargo will receive $3 million for continued renovations.

The measure also continues federal investment in various agricultural research projects across North Dakota focused on crop yields and disease resistance for several staple crops.

For farmers and ranchers, the bill ensures continued access to credit through sufficient funding for Farm Service Agency loans and maintains a ban on FSA county office closures. It provides resources so ranchers can comply with Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service electronic identification tag requirements—a policy tied to Hoeven’s previous efforts that secured an additional three million tags last year.

Additional measures include $500,000 allocated for blackbird depredation control in the Northern Great Plains; ongoing APHIS efforts against livestock diseases such as avian influenza and chronic wasting disease (CWD); support for CWD research at ARS; funding for competitive cattle markets through continuation of Hoeven’s cattle contract library pilot program; and sustained support for enforcement of fair marketing practices under existing law.