By Frank Giles
It has been a long process to get a new farm bill in place since the 2018 legislation expired in September 2023. But in June, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee entered the fray with the release of its farm bill 2.0 text.
The text drew praise from a broad spectrum of agricultural organizations, including the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA). Kam Quarles, chief executive officer of the National Potato Council and co-chair of the SCFBA, discussed the Senate version, which followed the House passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on April 30.
“It was a very positive and necessary step,” Quarles said. “We want to maintain the momentum that the House has generated. Obviously, the House has passed their version of the bill. Now it’s over to the Senate. The Senate needs to respond. It likely will look a little bit different than the House. That’s not a surprise. It happens every time we do a farm bill.”
According to Quarles, for specialty crops, the Senate version mirrors what the House has provided. He added that this is the best farm bill that specialty crops have ever seen.
“There are some tweaks that we would like to see made, but on balance, this is a great thing for the U.S. fruit and vegetable industry, and we want to keep it going and get it to the president’s desk before the year is out,” said Quarles.
Faster Financial Assistance
The language includes a new assistance framework, which the specialty crop industry has long called for, especially in the Southeast. It would create more rapid and reliable responses to weather disasters, economic crises and market disruptions. The aim would be to get financial assistance into growers’ hands more quickly after these events. It has typically taken at least two years to get disaster aid to growers after recent hurricanes.
The language also contains block grants for states, which would authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to deliver natural disaster relief funding to states for quicker delivery by local people on the ground than federal offices in Washington, D.C.
Mechanization and Automation
With the expense and uncertainty of farm labor, the specialty crop mechanization and automation research program is another bright spot in the proposed legislation. It provides dedicated mandatory funding for a competitive research/Extension grant program focused on mechanization and automation for things like machine harvest.
Insurance Improvement
Crop insurance for specialty crops has been an area where improvements are needed. Each crop has its own needs and can differ by region. The Senate text includes the creation of a Specialty Crop Advisory Committee. This committee would advise the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation board on researching and improving policies for specialty crops.
The proposed legislation would also create a specialty crops coordinator, a dedicated role at USDA’s Risk Management Agency to better understand specialty crop insurance needs to advocate for more suitable insurance policies.
Marketing Boost
On the marketing front, the Senate version more than doubles funding for key trade promotion programs (Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development) benefiting specialty crops. It also calls for interagency efforts to promote seasonal/perishable fruits and vegetables in both global and domestic markets.
On paper, these all sound like wins for specialty crop growers. Now, it’s time for the Senate to pass its bill and work with the House to get a final package on the President’s desk. It has been almost three years, and we certainly don’t want to see another extension of the 2018 farm bill again in September.