Infrastructure deal brings wins for industry
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act bring wins for the fresh produce industry, industry leaders believe.
Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association attended the Nov. 15 White House ceremony when President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law.
“United Fresh has worked with the Administration and bipartisan Congressional leaders to pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill,” Stenzel said in a statement. “The new law will provide critical improvements to support the fresh produce supply chain, including roads, bridges, ports and vitally needed Western state water infrastructure investment. We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure consumers have access to our safe, healthy and nutritious products. This law is a strong step in the right direction.”
The legislation, according to a White House summary, invests $17 billion in port infrastructure and waterways and $25 billion in airports to address repair and maintenance backlogs, reduce congestion and emissions near ports and airports, and drive electrification and other low-carbon technologies.
A national coalition representing thousands of Western farmers, ranchers, businesses and rural and urban water providers praised the legislation for its investment in Western water projects.
“This is a great victory for Western water users. The Western water provisions included in this legislation represent a once-in-a-generation federal investment that will bolster our aging water infrastructure and keep water flowing to our nation’s farms and ranches,” Family Farm Alliance executive director Dan Keppen said in a news release. “It will also improve our ability to provide water supply reliability for cities and the environment in future droughts."
The alliance said the legislation includes more than $8 billion for projects that will enhance water supply reliability across the West, including repairing aging dams and canals, building new surface and groundwater storage and conveyance facilities, funding water conservation and recycling projects, and improving watershed and ecosystem management.
“We urge the Administration to quickly drive implementation of the Western water provisions. Time, like water, is in short supply,” Western Growers president and CEO Dave Puglia said in a statement. “We cannot let red tape and activist litigation stall or block the many long overdue projects necessary to repair and enhance our aging water infrastructure and develop reliable new sources of water supply.”
Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, said the infrastructure investment in roads, railways and ports will give producers and exporters the ability to competitively ship potatoes to U.S. and foreign markets.
“It has been a huge priority of ours for a very long time, and we’re just glad that the Republicans and Democrats were able to get together on (the legislation),” he said.
