Why It Matters

The Agricultural Retailers Association is pressing Congress on several fronts as the agricultural sector navigates regulatory and legislative shifts. The group's focus spans the Farm Bill reauthorization, pesticide oversight, labor reform, and energy standards, issues that directly shape how agricultural retailers operate. Their lobbying reflects efforts to secure favorable conditions on pesticide products and H2A agricultural worker program reforms.

By the Numbers

The Agricultural Retailers Association reported $210,000 in lobbying expenses for the second quarter of 2026, according to an amended filing. The organization has spent $1,030,000 in total lobbying revenue over the past year. Richard Gupton, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Counsel, and Hunter Carpenter, Senior Director of Government Affairs, are the registered in-house lobbyists handling the group's advocacy efforts.

The group's spending remained consistent at $210,000 per quarter from the first quarter of 2026 through the second quarter, after rising from $190,000 in the third quarter of 2025. The second quarter filing was amended on July 25, with no change to the reported expenses.

The Agenda

The Agricultural Retailers Association is focused on the Farm Bill reauthorization through HR 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which would extend USDA programs through fiscal year 2031. The current 2018 Farm Bill has been extended through fiscal year 2026, creating urgency around the new authorization.

On pesticides, the group advocates for a risk-based approach and peer-reviewed data guiding continued sales and use of pesticide products. The association also supports reauthorization of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program, which expired in July 2023.

The group also supports Renewable Fuels Standards. On labor, the association supports H2A visa reforms, including a bipartisan measure that removes seasonal requirements and allows year-round contracts up to 350 days for sectors like dairy.

Additional priorities include language prohibiting EPA funding for the Integrated Risk Information System program, Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Device reforms, free trade, and biotech advancement.

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