Washington, D.C. – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) has issued the following statement following the release of a Farm Bill framework by Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Boozman.
“The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends Sen. Boozman for his contribution to moving the 2024 Farm Bill process forward today. 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.”
The SCFBA further stated, “We are encouraged to see indications that Sen. Boozman’s proposal includes key investments for specialty crops and look forward to reviewing the details as they become available. We now urge the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to come together and draft a bipartisan Farm Bill that can be 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.