HCR 17

                                                                                      *HC1014*
                                                             February 9, 2026
             HOUSE CONCURRENT
              RESOLUTION No. 17
                   DIGEST OF RESOLUTION
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging Indiana's
federal congressional delegation and the United States
government to place price floors for farmers and break up
agricultural monopolies.
   Gore, Bartlett, Campbell, Harris,
          Jackson C
   February 9, 2026, read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural
Development.
HC 17—HC 1014/DI 140
                                                        February 9, 2026
        Second Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2026)
               HOUSE CONCURRENT
                RESOLUTION No. 17
1     A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging Indiana's federal
2 congressional delegation and the United States government to
3 place price floors for farmers and break up agricultural
4 monopolies.
5   Whereas, Agriculture is a cornerstone of Indiana's economy
6 and identity, supporting farm families, rural communities, food
7 processors, and thousands of Hoosier jobs;
8   Whereas, Family farmers and independent producers often
9 operate in markets where they face unpredictable price swings
10 and prolonged periods in which the prices they receive do not
11 cover the actual cost of production;
12   Whereas, The widening gap between what farmers are paid
13 at the farm gate and what consumers pay at the grocery store
14 demonstrates that extreme market power within the supply
15 chain can distort pricing and shift profits away from producers
16 and toward dominant intermediaries;
17   Whereas, Excessive consolidation in the agribusiness sector,
18 including the seed, fertilizer, chemical, meatpacking, grain
19 trading, and food processing industries, has reduced
20 competition, weakened farmers' bargaining power, and enabled
21 dominant firms to set unfair terms;
22   Whereas, When farmers and livestock producers are forced
23 to sell into highly concentrated markets, they can be subjected
24 to take-it-or-leave-it contracts, retaliation for speaking out, and
25 opaque or difficult-to-challenge pricing systems;
 HC 17—HC 1014/DI 140
                                 2
1   Whereas, Market concentration can suppress farm income,
2 accelerate the loss of independent operations, and hollow out
3 rural communities as farm families are pushed off the land and
4 local businesses lose economic stability;
5   Whereas, Indiana's producers have absorbed rising costs for
6 seed, feed, fertilizer, fuel, equipment, and land while the prices
7 paid to farmers frequently fail to reflect these input cost
8 increases;
9   Whereas, Fair and competitive markets are essential to a
10 resilient food supply, and over-reliance on a small number of
11 dominant firms increases vulnerability to supply chain
12 disruptions, disease outbreaks, facility shutdowns, and price
13 shocks;
14   Whereas, A healthy agricultural economy requires both
15 competition and fair pricing, so that farmers can earn a living
16 wage, reinvest in their operations, and pass farms on to the
17 next generation; and
18   Whereas, Ensuring farmers receive a fair return for their
19 work is a matter of economic justice, food security, and the
20 long-term sustainability of American agriculture: Therefore,
21Be it resolved by the House of Representatives
22of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana,
23the Senate concurring:
24    SECTION 1. That the Indiana House of Representatives calls
25 upon the United States Congress and the federal government to
26 establish and maintain price floors for agricultural commodities
27 and farm products that reflect the production costs and prevent
28 predatory, below-cost pricing that drives producers out of
29 business.
30    SECTION 2. That the Indiana House of Representatives
31 urges the United States Congress, the United States Department
32 of Agriculture, and other federal agencies to implement policies
33 that stabilize farm income and reduce extreme volatility,
34 including pricing tools that ensure farmers are not forced to sell
35 at a loss.
36    SECTION 3. That the Indiana House of Representatives calls
37 upon the United States Congress and the United States
38 Department of Justice to enforce and strengthen federal antitrust
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                                3
1 laws to break up or restrain agribusiness monopolies and
2 oligopolies that distort markets and undermine fair competition.
3    SECTION 4. That the Indiana House of Representatives
4 urges robust federal enforcement actions to prevent
5 anti-competitive mergers, market manipulation, price fixing,
6 abusive contracting practices, and other conduct that harms
7 farmers, ranchers, and consumers.
8    SECTION 5. That the Indiana House of Representatives calls
9 upon federal regulators to increase transparency and
10 accountability in agricultural markets so that farmers can
11 understand pricing, challenge unfair practices, and compete on
12 a level playing field.
13    SECTION 6. That the Indiana House of Representatives
14 respectfully requests that Indiana's federal congressional
15 delegation to support federal legislation and enforcement efforts
16 that promote fair competition, protect independent producers,
17 and ensure that farmers receive prices that allow them to remain
18 viable and profitable.
19    SECTION 7. That the Principal Clerk of the House of
20 Representatives shall transmit copies of this resolution to the
21 members of Indiana's federal congressional delegation.
 HC 17—HC 1014/DI 140