Washington, D.C. – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives passage of the budget reconciliation bill:
"Our message could not be simpler: Whenever Congress invests in American agriculture, it must include specialty crops. As the Senate begins its budget reconciliation process and considers its package of investments for American agriculture, we call upon them to include the investments for specialty crops from the House-passed bill.
America’s specialty crop growers produce the safe, nutritious foods that more Americans should be consuming, as well as cultivate the trees, flowers and plants that play a vital role in the nation’s health and wellbeing. They account for half the farm gate value in the U.S., yet receive a small fraction of the farm bill’s resources. Specialty crop growers continue to confront a host of unprecedented challenges impeding their competitiveness, including rising input costs, limited access to labor, unfair trade practices, disruptions to foreign markets and natural disasters ranging from flood to drought. Nothing short of the survival of our domestic industry is at stake.”
The SCFBA is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, President of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, President and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.
For more information, visit farmbillalliance.com.