Hundreds of U.S. farm and agribusiness groups have urgedRepublican leaders in the House of Representatives to try again topass the $500 billion, five-year farm bill that suffered anhistoric and unexpected defeat in June.

In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday, the groupsasked for a fresh vote as soon as possible. They also opposed theidea, floated by a faction of fiscally conservative Republicans, ofsplitting the bill into two parts.

"We believe that splitting the nutrition title from the rest ofthe bill could result in neither farm nor nutrition programspassing, and urge you to move a unified farm bill forward," saidthe letter signed by 532 local, state and national associations andbusinesses.

The June 20 vote was the first time the House rejected a farmbill and an embarrassment for Republican leaders Boehner andMajority Leader Eric Cantor, who supported the bill and brought itto the House floor expecting it to pass.

Instead, it failed by 39 votes, 234-195, as 62 TeaParty-influenced Republicans joined 172 Democratic defenders offood stamps in voting against the bill.

Conservative Republicans wanted deeper cuts in farm programs andfood stamps. Democrats said the bill's $20.5 billion in food stampcuts were unacceptably large.

House Republican leaders have not announced their next steps. Ifa new farm law is not enacted by Sept. 30, the farm program willrevert to the terms of a 1949 law that calls for sky-high supportrates for certain goods. In one of the most visible impacts, theprice of milk in grocery stores could double.

Despite opposition from farm groups, Indiana Republican MarlinStutzman said this week that the proposal for two separate bills –one focused on farm subsidies, the other on food stamps – was farfrom dead.

"I'm finding a lot of interest in separating the bill," Stutzmansaid. "People are going to be surprised."

In its letter, the agriculture coalition gave Republican leadersleeway to re-fashion the farm bill if necessary.

It said "strong bipartisan support" was essential for a billthat meets farm, public nutrition and soil conservation priorities,and urged a vote "as soon as possible" after the House reconveneson July 8.

Some analysts say the most likely result is another extension ofthe 2008 farm law.

The farm bill passed by the Senate on June 10 and the defeatedHouse bill would expand the taxpayer-subsidized crop insurancesystem, end a $5 billion-a-year "direct payment subsidy" to growersand streamline soil conservation programs.

The Senate bill would save $23 billion over 10 years, the bulkof it from crop subsidies. The House bill would cut $40 billion,half of it from food stamps for the poor.