ADVOCACY REPORT
The Work Ahead: Trade, Policy, and Orchard Pressures in 2026 As we move deeper into the 2026 crop year, the almond industry is still contending with the same forces that have shaped the last few seasons: high costs, regulatory pressure, and an export environment that can change quickly. What’s different now is that several decisions are moving from debate to implementation, and the next round of policy decisions is already taking shape. What happens in Washington and Sacramento can quickly affect the operating environment, and these are the developments to keep on your radar in the months ahead. Farm Bill The House Agriculture Committee is set to mark up Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. That’s a meaningful step in the process, but it does not guarantee smooth passage. The Farm Bill is pulling in a wide range of issues, and the political path remains narrow. The biggest fault line continues to be nutrition policy. The bill updates commodity and conservation programs and includes efforts aimed at strengthening disaster assistance and other agricultural tools. At the same time, SNAP remains the core point of contention, and that dispute is spilling over into other debates around hemp, pesticides, and animal welfare. Producers have been clear that they need a workable safety net and disaster tools, especially with thin margins and continually high input costs. For almond growers and other specialty crop producers, the priority is keeping permanent crops visible in a Farm Bill that is often driven by program-crop dynamics. That means continuing to press for practical program access, workable disaster tools, and policies that reflect the realities of long-term orchard investments.
Trade and Tariffs Trade remains one of the biggest drivers of almond prices and demand, and the landscape shifted in a meaningful way this winter: on February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the President to impose tariffs, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stopped collecting IEEPA-based tariffs effective February 24. In practical terms, that removes a major legal uncertainty, but it doesn’t eliminate volatility. Trade policy can pivot quickly to other authorities, and early signals suggest the administration is already exploring alternative tariff mechanisms. At the same time, the calendar adds pressure: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) six-year review in July 2026 is a key milestone for North American trade flows. And for several priority markets, including India, we’re still awaiting updated trade terms and implementation details, as nothing has been released yet. Separately, we continue to request that USDA allocate a meaningful share of the $1 billion Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) funding to almonds at the highest feasible per-acre payment rate. After several years of weak prices, trade-related market losses, and sustained
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ALMOND FACTS
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