Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance backs disaster relief, mechanization bills

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has endorsed two pieces of legislation that will be considered during the 2023 farm bill discussions.

The alliance is a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products.

The key bills backed by the alliance, according to a news release, include:

• Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act, which was introduced by U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and Kat Cammack (R-Fla.). The act is sponsored by U.S. Reps. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), John Duarte (R-Calif.), Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) and Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.).

• Specialty Crop Mechanization and Automation Research and Development Program, which is sponsored by U.S. Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.).

“The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance appreciates the work by members of the U.S. House of Representatives for supporting and prioritizing specialty crops as discussions continue surrounding the 2023 farm bill,” said an SCFBA statement attributed to its co-chairs.

Both bills align with the SCFBA’s recent recommendations and support a stronger future for the industry, helping to ensure its competitiveness in the domestic and global marketplace, the statement said.

The SCFBA was established to advocate for broad-based farm bill policy initiatives to address the unique needs of a diverse specialty crops sector of the agricultural economy. The alliance was also formed to aid the sector’s overall competitiveness in the face of increasing imports and rising global pressures on American exports.

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Specialty crop production, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery and greenhouse commodities, contributes significantly to the U.S economy, accounting for $64.7 billion in farm gate value and 30% of farm cash receipts for crops, according to the statement.

The alliance is led by co-chairs:

• Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.
• Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers.
• Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.

Robert Guenther, chief public policy officer for International Fresh Produce Association, serves as secretariat for the SCFBA, according to the release.