North American Blueberry Council President Kasey Cronquist voiced support for the Senate Agriculture reconciliation text, highlighting its recognition of specialty crop priorities.
Cronquist issued the following statement:
“NABC thanks Chairman Boozman and the Senate Agriculture Committee for its unwavering commitment over the past two years to advance a new farm bill that provides meaningful support to U.S. specialty crops. While we continue to strongly support passage of a bipartisan, comprehensive farm bill and look forward to working with both sides of the aisle to deliver that, we are encouraged by the committee’s release of budget reconciliation text that includes critical investments for blueberry producers.
“We are especially grateful for the proposed funding for key programs that directly support the blueberry industry and other specialty crops. These include the Tree Assistance Program, crop insurance, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and trade promotion funding. These investments are essential to maintaining the long-term viability and global competitiveness of American-grown blueberries.
“However, budget reconciliation rules prevent this bill from addressing many of the policy updates needed for the specialty crop industry. A complete farm bill is necessary to enact needed policy reforms, without which American family farms will remain at a disadvantage compared to foreign competitors operating with significantly lower production costs.
“We remain committed to working closely with Chairman Boozman, Chairman Thompson, and members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to ensure the specialty crop industry is fully supported across all legislative efforts.”
