In a show of strong bipartisan support, 42 Members of Congress sent a letter to the Farm Bill conferees asking them to maintain the specialty crop provisions currently contained in the House and Senate Farm Bills.
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The conference committee members for the House and Senate Farm Bills are currently considering provisions which include almost US$1bn in funding investments to provide the tools necessary to drive both consumption and demand for fruits and vegetables in the market place. This congressional letter also follows an industry correspondence sent last week to conferees by representatives of fruit and vegetable growers across the US asking the congressional members to support these important provisions.
“The produce industry provisions now being considered by the Farm Bill conferees represent some of the most progressive and positive agriculture policy initiatives that have been developed though a Farm Bill process to address the unique needs of the specialty producers in the US,” said Robert Guenther, United’s Vice President of Government & Public Affairs. “We are grateful to the Members of Congress who have gone to bat for the produce industry and we will continue to work with our congressional allies to ensure that critical funding and industry priorities remain intact as the deliberations proceed.”
In reference to the funding currently allocated in both bills for specialty crops, Members of Congress wrote, “…we believe this is a very modest investment that will not only continue to support the economic viability of the produce industry, but the health of all Americans.” The letter also focused on four key policy areas that have broad-based support from the fruit and vegetable industry. These provisions include:
·Direct annual funding for fruit and vegetable commodity purchases
·Ensuring specialty crop producers benefit from increased conservation assistance
·Providing funding for new innovative programs to promote fresh fruits and vegetables
·Additional provision that provide new tools and additional resources to help the produce industry navigate the increasing pressures of the domestic and global market place.
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By GlobalDataThese policy provisions also incorporate the priorities of United’s Farm Bill Working Group which were delivered to Congress last year during the development of the House and Senate Farm Bills. The work done by this industry-wide group represents the most comprehensive effort to date by the produce industry to address industry priorities through a Farm Bill process.
“Fruit and vegetable industry members face the same economic stress inherent to other farm commodity sectors,” Guenther said. “Congress and the Administration must ensure that a Farm Bill is approved that helps all segments of the agriculture community,” he concluded.
