Report: $15 billion grower aid package being discussed
Congress is discussing a $15 billion grower aid package, including specialty crops. See how it could support farmers and stabilize markets.
Key members of the U.S. House and Senate are reportedly working on a $15 billion farm aid package, including relief for specialty crop growers, as part of this month’s appropriations bills, according to a POLITICO report.
Sen. John Hoeven, chair of the Senate Appropriations Ag-FDA subcommittee, met Jan. 14 with House Agriculture chair G.T. Thompson and Senate Agriculture chair John Boozman to discuss the package, the three lawmakers told POLITICO. Negotiations are under a Jan. 30 deadline to pass a federal funding bill.
Specialty crop producers were disappointed in a December aid package that provided $11 billion for row crops and $1 billion for other producers, including specialty crops, with details on distribution still pending.
“We’re looking at exactly what the need is and how it would be dispersed,” Thompson told POLITICO.
House Agriculture ranking member Angie Craig has proposed a separate plan that would provide $17 billion in additional funds, with money earmarked for specialty crops, foresters, and sugar beet farmers.
The California Walnut Commission (CWC) recently joined a coalition of more than 50 agriculture organizations urging Congress to provide immediate economic relief for farmers, ranchers and specialty crop growers. The coalition cited rising input and operational costs, historically low prices, and cumulative losses over multiple years.
“These trends aren’t just statistics; they represent an economic crisis in rural America,” the CWC wrote in a release. “We urge Congress to provide immediate economic support to fill in the gap of remaining losses for both field and specialty crop farmers. Additional support will stabilize the farm economy, protect rural communities and ensure a secure food supply.”
Specialty crops — including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery, greenhouse and floriculture products — generate more than $75 billion annually in U.S. agricultural cash receipts, accounting for over one-third of total U.S. crop sales.
The coalition said near-term economic support is critical to sustaining family farms and specialty crop producers as they prepare for the upcoming growing season.