WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued a statement following the release of two separate farm bill frameworks by the chairs of the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
“The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman (Glenn) Thompson and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman (Debbie) Stabenow for their work in moving the 2024 farm bill process forward. The specialty crop industry plays a vital role in American agriculture and in supporting the health and wellbeing of all Americans. It’s imperative that the 2024 farm bill build on a strong record of federal investments in valuable programs and establish new and innovative tools to enhance the competitive position of specialty crop growers across the country. The status quo is not sustainable for America’s specialty crop growers, and seemingly small enhancements to farm bill programs could have a transformational impact on the specialty crop industry.”
Bipartisan Collaboration
The SCFBA further stated, “We are encouraged that both frameworks appear to include key investments for specialty crops and look forward to reviewing the details as they become available. This is an important step in the legislative process – one we hope to build on by working with leaders in the House and Senate. We urge bipartisan collaboration as Congress moves through the process to ensure a farm bill is signed into law this year.”
SCFBA 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. In early 2023, the alliance released a set of key policy priorities as part of its Farm Bill recommendations. 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 percent of farm cash receipts for crops.