On Tuesday, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture held a full committee hearing, “An Examination of the State of the Specialty Crop Industry.” In his opening statement, Chairman Glenn G.T. Thompson (R-PA) shared that specialty crops “play a crucial, and often underappreciated, role in the success of U.S. agriculture,” but that “the very diversity that defines this industry can also present unique challenge in policy development.”
Western Growers member Grimmway Farms was one of four witnesses to testify before the committee. Dana Brennan, Grimmway Farms’ Vice President of Corporate Affairs, provided a strong voice on behalf of many of our industry’s biggest challenges and opportunities. She noted that “regulatory overreach, labor shortages, and outdated policies threaten our ability to grow, harvest, and deliver fresh food.”
Labor challenges, and the need for agriculture labor solutions, was one of the most discussed topics of the hearing. Committee members from both parties stressed how labor shortages and costs threaten farmers’ survival, and how urgently Congress needs to address it in a bipartisan way. All four panelists concurred, with Brennan responding that the industry has long advocated for a reliable, legal workforce and Congress needs to step up for the industry.
The committee also asked many questions about the current limitations of crop insurance and safety net programs, and what can be done to improve them.
Trade and foreign market access, specialty crop research and produce promotion in federal nutrition programs were among the other topics discussed in the hearing.
Looking ahead, Chairman Thompson has publicly expressed the committee’s goal of fully reauthorizing the Farm Bill, which is set to expire this year. Significant funding increases to USDA programs were secured earlier this year through other legislation, but several important policy reforms remain unrealized, especially within the crop insurance space. Last month, Western Growers and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance released updated Farm Bill priorities to ensure the full extent of federal support for our industry is reflected in an updated bill.