On June 11, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry released its legislative text for the budget reconciliation bill. The expansive text covers numerous topics, including funding changes to crop insurance, livestock programs and several ag-focused grants, as well as extensive changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“This legislation delivers the risk management tools and updated farm bill safety net they need to keep producing the safest, most abundant and affordable food, fuel and fiber in the world,” says Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., in a news release. “It’s an investment in rural America and the future of agriculture
For the fresh produce industry, there were some considerable investments in the draft text.
“The specialty crop research initiative funding was up from its current $80 million a year to $175 million a year,” Kam Quarles, National Potato Council CEO, tells The Packer. “That is very significant for the fruit and vegetable industry widely.”
Quarles also cites the increases in the Pest and Disease Program funding — $90 million annually starting in 2026, up from $75 million currently — and to the Specialty Block Grant program — $100 million annually in 2026, up from $85 million currently — as being essential to the specialty crop industry. Additionally, the limitation on adjusted gross income was eliminated if 75% or more income is derived from farming
“We are grateful to Chairman Boozman and his staff for advancing these vital investments in specialty crops,” the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance said in a news release.
“Our message today is simple: Any Congressional investment in American agriculture must include specialty crops,” the release continues. “America’s specialty crop growers confront a host of unprecedented challenges. Rising input costs, limited access to labor, unfair trade practices, disruptions to foreign markets and natural disasters ranging from flood to drought all impede the competitiveness of these family farms. Nothing short of the survival of our domestic industry is at stake.”
Reconciliation vs Farm Bill
While the U.S. is waiting on a new farm bill, many elements that might have gone into a farm bill are making their way into the reconciliation bill.
“Chairman Thompson was playing the hand that he was dealt in terms of reconciliation versus the traditional farm bill process,” says Quarles about Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. “Chairman Bozeman is doing the exact same thing, and we are very happy that both sides of Congress have included these important investments for specialty crops.”
There is still work to be done, however, according to the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.
“Senate rules prohibit the inclusion of some innovative policy initiatives we proposed, such as investments in mechanization and automation, and reforms to crop insurance to provide many of our growers with an affordable and effective safety net for the first time,” according to the alliance.
Quarles explains that the reconciliation bill process only allows for funding changes, not the creation of new funding programs; that requires a full farm bill. But both the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance and the National Potato Council, which is a member of the alliance, thanked both ag committee chairmen for their efforts.
“No subsection of agriculture has gone through more change and volatility since the last farm bill was signed than specialty crops,” Quarles says. “Waiting around for a new farm bill has been very challenging for producers, and we are very happy to see both chairmen taking that seriously and investing in this part of the U.S. ag industry.”
Research is American produce’s path forward
Investing in research is extremely important to the future of the produce industry, Quarles stresses.
“The innovation that goes on through public private partnerships in research in the United States is what is going to keep us competitive into the future,” he says. “In terms of our global competitiveness, it’s going to be those type of research investments that keep us in the game and hopefully winning that game.”
He acknowledges research is often time-consuming, complicated, expensive and often so technical as to be out of mind for a lot of people, but the benefits are key. He cites novel potato varieties that are more durable, heartier and consume fewer resources developed with public-private partnerships as an example of the value of research.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that we are going to be one of the highest-cost production areas on the globe for a very long time,” Quarles says. “But we are going to remain competitive through these types of high-risk, high-reward research innovations that are able to prepare our producers forward even when others have the tailwind of low-cost labor or lower environmental regulations.”
“It’s our innovation that’s going to keep us front and center,” he adds.
