The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has responded to a letter from the bipartisan Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus calling for economic relief for U.S. specialty crop producers. The letter was sent to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and addresses the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farmer Bridge Assistance Program.
The Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus includes more than 100 members of Congress. The initiative was led by Co-Chairs Representatives Jim Costa of California, David Rouzer of North Carolina, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, and David Valadao of California. The group urged that specialty crop producers be included in relief measures for U.S. agriculture and called for clarity on the scope and implementation of support.
In its response, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance stated that specialty crop growers continue to face uncertainty regarding eligibility, payment formulas, and timing under existing USDA assistance frameworks. The Alliance pointed out that while specialty crops generate more than US$75 billion annually in agricultural cash receipts and represent more than one-third of total U.S. crop sales, current farm aid allocations remain uneven. Under the existing framework, US$11 billion is designated for row crops, compared with US$1 billion for specialty crops and other commodities.
Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery products, greenhouse crops, and floriculture. According to the Alliance, producers in these sectors are facing rising costs for labor, fertilizer, fuel, and crop protection products, while market prices have not increased at the same pace.
The Alliance referenced previous USDA support mechanisms, including the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Program and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2, as examples of frameworks that could be used to distribute relief more efficiently. The group said that any new assistance should provide transparency and reflect the cost structures specific to specialty crop production.
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is co-chaired by representatives from several industry organizations, including the International Fresh Produce Association, the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Western Growers, and the National Potato Council. The Alliance stated that it will continue engaging with Congress and the administration as discussions around agricultural relief and farm policy continue.
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