Sen. Adam Schiff has introduced six new pieces of legislation which he says are aimed at expanding support and market access for specialty crop farmers and leveling the playing field for California growers in the upcoming Farm Bill.
Schiff is the first Senator from California to serve on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in more than years, says he introduced the legislative package ahead of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s consideration of the Farm Bill.
Schiff says these bills are in response to farm visits he made in the past 18 months where growers expressed concern and struggles related to tariffs and trade wars, input costs, and lack of parity in federal support compared to other states’ agricultural industries.
The legislative package includes:
- The Economic Relief for Specialty Crops Act would provide $5 billion in economic assistance for specialty crop producers. Schiff says the USDA’s recent distribution of disaster and economic relief for specialty crop farmers was deeply disappointing and inadequate. The bill text can be viewed here.
- The Improving Pest and Disease Preparedness for Specialty Crops Act would enhance USDA’s pest and disease management. Specifically, the bill would boost funding for USDA’s Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program, ensure that USDA provides adequate resources for pest prevention in high-risk states and increase funding for the National Clean Plant Network, which diagnoses and eliminates pathogens from specialty crop plants. The bill text can be viewed here.
- The Increasing Insurance Access for Specialty Crops Act would establish a first-ever Specialty Crop Advisory Committee for Crop Insurance at USDA. This Committee would improve existing policies available to specialty crops, conduct outreach and facilitate the development of new insurance policies for specialty. This bill is co-led by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) The bill text can be viewed here.
- The Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act would allocate $30 million per year from USDA research funding for the research and development of specialty crop mechanization and automation. The bill text can be viewed here.
- The Ensuring Disaster Recovery and Resilience for Specialty Crops Act would establish a permanent disaster program tailored to specialty crops. USDA and Congress have repeatedly had to provide disaster relief to growers on an ad hoc basis. A permanent program would allow growers to receive relief on a timely and reliable basis. This bill is co-led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) The bill text can be viewed here.
- The Expanding Market Access Act would enhance American producers’ access to foreign markets to help meet international demand for California and U.S. products. Specifically, the bill would provide technical assistance for infrastructure in foreign markets for U.S. commodities, mandate a report on the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops, and increase funding for the Market Access Program, which funds overseas marketing and promotional activities of U.S. agricultural products. The bill text can be viewed here.
“These proposals were formed based on ongoing feedback I’ve gathered during my visits to farms up and down the state, speaking with farmers, farmworkers and other producers. I will continue to push for these policies as the Senate considers the Farm Bill,” said Senator Schiff. “California continues to lead the way in specialty crops, growing nearly half of the nation’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts. As California’s first senator to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in over 30 years, I’m fighting to address the needs of specialty crop farmers.
