Pierce County’s Daniel Johnson recently joined Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) leaders on a trip to Washington, D.C., earlier this month, seeking help from Congress. They stressed that U.S. national security is at stake.
“We cannot get into a situation where we’re depending on other nations to provide our food,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall, who led a group of GFB members on the trip. “Unless Congress acts to address farmers’ financial sustainability, that could be where we’re headed. Our farmers are really hurting.”
GFB leaders stressed the United States relies on its farmers for food, clothing, shelter and much more. U.S. farmers’ dependability is envied around the world.
Johnson, Georgia’s First South Georgia Vice President, was one of 28 GFB members from around the state to visit with members of the Georgia congressional delegation and urge them to find ways to help farmers.
The GFB group proposed congressional support for Georgia farmers by:
• Strengthening the farm safety net through meaningful farm bill modernization to incentivize widespread conservation practices, push domestic consumers to prioritize use of U.S.produced agricultural commodities and to make crop insurance options more effective.
• Securing long-term agricultural labor stability and predictability by codifying the provisions the federal government ordered concerning Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) methodology.
• Protecting market access and trade competitiveness through strong USMCA enforcement while fighting to increase transparency in cost of production and food safety standards with our trading partners.
In 2025, Georgia farmers lost $793 million, according to American Farm Bureau Federation analysis of USDA Economic Research Service and UGA data. Farm production costs—money farmers spend for seed, fertilizer, fuel, labor, pest control, animal feed and veterinary care, etc.—have exceeded farm revenue in 11 of the past 14 years. According to data from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, tractor prices increased 21% from 2020 to 2023.
As recently as 2021 the United States enjoyed an agricultural trade surplus—meaning U.S. producers’ exports brought in more money than the money the U.S. spent importing agricultural commodities. But in 2025, the U.S. operated at a $50 billion agricultural trade deficit.
“After more than 60 years farming, I have seen our industry face severe economic downturns, natural disasters and the daily challenges of life on the farm,” McCall said. “But the past few years in agriculture have put unprecedented pressure on all our producers. Farms support entire small-town economies. When a farm closes, it causes a negative economic chain reaction across the community. When farms shut down, communities also lose access to fresh, local food.”
The American Bankers Association/ Farmer Mac 2025 Ag Lender Survey revealed that less than 45% of agricultural borrowers in the South were profitable in 2025, with no expectation for improvement in 2026. Like farmers, the ag lenders’ top concerns are net farm income and working capital.
The effects on farmers have come into sharper focus in recent years. A 2022 study by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center revealed that 42% of Georgia farmers had had thoughts of suicide in the previous year.
In 2025, Chapter 12 bankruptcies— a debt restructuring designed specifically for farmers—increased for the third straight year. According to American Farm Bureau analysis from U.S. courts’ data, a total of 315 farm operators nationwide filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in 2025, an increase of 46% over 2024. In Georgia, 27 farms filed for Chapter 12 in 2025, up from 11 in 2024.
For more information about the economic challenges facing Georgia Farmers, please visit www. .ag/strongfarms.
