NMPF Secures Key Dairy Wins as House Farm Bill Advances
April 1, 2026
The 2026 Farm Bill advanced by the House Agriculture Committee on March 5 includes several NMPF priorities, reflecting the organization’s months of engagement with Chairman GT Thompson, R-PA, and other dairy champions as the bill won wide, bipartisan committee approval.
Among provisions critical to strengthening dairy farmers and their cooperatives, the legislation authorizes long-term dairy product processing cost surveys and extends essential programs such as Dairy Forward Pricing, Dairy Indemnity, and the Dairy Research and Promotion Program. The bill also reinforces voluntary, producer-led conservation efforts, including targeted support for methane-reducing practices.
NMPF secured forward-looking trade provisions in the bill, including a long-term directive for the U.S. government to protect common cheese names like parmesan and feta in trade negotiations, an effort introduced and championed by NMPF. The bill also included an NMPF request to formally move the Food for Peace program to USDA and designate $200 million in annual funding for dairy-based therapeutic foods to support global malnutrition efforts.
Additional victories include strengthened export promotion funding, expanded access to renewable energy programs for farmer-owned cooperatives, broader dairy eligibility in nutrition incentive programs, and continued support for farmer mental health and on-farm safety.
Chairman Thompson is focused on advancing the bill, which President Trump supports, to the House floor in the weeks ahead. The Senate has not yet acted on a companion bill. As the farm bill process moves ahead, NMPF remains focused on building bipartisan momentum to deliver lasting results for America’s dairy farmers.
