Farm bill markup delayed as specialty crop groups push priorities

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee’s markup of its draft farm bill has been postponed until March 3 due to weather-related travel challenges on the East Coast.

The one-week delay gave growers additional time to press their priorities on Capitol Hill. Potato producers used the opportunity during the National Potato Council’s Washington Summit, held Feb. 23-26, to advocate for specialty crop provisions they say are critical to long-term viability.

“Our growers and allied industry partners advocated for critical farm bill priorities, including modernizing crop insurance to provide a meaningful safety net for specialty crops and enhancing the Specialty Crop Research Initiative to tackle challenges like soil health and pest control,” Dean Gibson, vice president of legislative affairs for the National Potato Council and an Idaho grower, said in a statement.

A draft released Feb. 13 by the House Agriculture Committee includes several provisions addressing specialty crops, including a framework for delivering future assistance.

The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) applauded those provisions, particularly the proposed Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework.

“In partnership with the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, we have long advocated for a dedicated emergency structure tailored to the distinct production risks and market realities facing fruit, vegetable, tree nut, horticulture and nursery growers,” IFPA said in a statement. “The proposed first-ever Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework would establish clear parameters for delivering timely and targeted economic assistance while ensuring specialty crops are no longer reliant on programs designed primarily for other crops.

“Growers are facing unprecedented, ongoing economic pressure, including persistent labor shortages, rising input costs and supply chain volatility. This framework would provide much-needed predictability and a dependable pathway for assistance when it is most needed.”

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman said last week that his committee expects to take up its version of the farm bill in the coming months.

Separately, a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate aims to help growers overcome trade barriers and strengthen export markets for specialty crops.

The Specialty Crops Reporting on Opportunities and Promotion Act was introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo and Ranking Member Ron Wyden. The measure would require participation from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the annual U.S. Specialty Crops Trade Issues Report, identify tariff and non-tariff barriers in specific markets, outline actions taken or planned to address them, and require the report to be made public, with a classified annex allowed when necessary.

The bill continues to define “specialty crop” as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture — a category that includes many certified organic operations.

For organic growers navigating tight margins, labor constraints and input cost pressures, the proposed farm bill provisions could influence everything from research funding to access to emergency and export assistance.