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Rep. Jones of Davidson urges special hearing after $430 million 2025 farm loss claim
Summary
Rep. Jones of Davidson asked the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee to hold a special hearing on a reported $430,000,000 loss to Tennessee farmers in 2025 and asked that Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Holt testify about market access and tariffs.
Rep. Jones of Davidson told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that Tennessee farmers experienced substantial losses in 2025 and asked the committee to hold a special hearing with the commissioner of agriculture. "In 2025, Tennessee farmers lost $430,000,000," Jones said, calling the situation "a crisis that we have not seen in a generation here in Tennessee."
Jones said farmers are seeking "substantial relief" and linked part of the strain to international market access, saying soybean exports have been affected by tariffs: "China was our number 1 buyer of soybeans and our farmers are struggling to, access those markets with President Trump's, tariffs." He asked the committee to schedule a special hearing and to bring Commissioner Andy Holt to answer questions about the crisis and potential relief measures.
Committee leadership did not grant an immediate special hearing during the session; Chairman Todd said at one point that the parliamentary inquiry was out of order and returned the meeting to its scheduled business. The request by Jones serves as a formal appeal to the committee for further fact-finding and a potential future agenda item.
