Following the release of two separate farm bill frameworks by the chairs of the U.S. House and Senate, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) has commended the progress made by representatives.

“The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman Thompson and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow for their work in moving the 2024 farm bill process forward,” the SCFBA said in a statement. “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 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.”

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is a national coalition of more than 200 organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products. The Alliance was established to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop agriculture and improve the health of Americans by broadening the scope of U.S. agricultural public policy. For more information, visit farmbillalliance.com.