Advocates request relief for specialty crop growers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week announced it will make $12 billion available for one-time payments to farmers “in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.”

Up to $11 billion of that money is allocated for row crop farmers producing crops such as corn, soybeans, rice and cotton, with payments set to be released for those growers by Feb. 28.

The remaining $1 billion in relief funding is set aside for growers of specialty crops such as fruits, nuts and vegetables.

“Details including timelines for those payments are still under development,” USDA said in a statement.

Farm advocates expressed appreciation for the relief package while pushing for greater recognition of market challenges specialty crop growers have faced—and for more support for those growers.

Speaking last week at the California Farm Bureau’s 107th Annual Meeting in Anaheim, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said he thought the $1 billion in relief for specialty crop growers was “a little short,” considering California “is such a big agricultural state.”

California produces an outsize portion of the nation’s speciality crops, including more than a third of its vegetables and around three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. 

Last year, California’s agriculture sector was valued at $61 billion, making it the top agricultural state in the country. 

“California fruit, vegetable, tree-nut and nursery growers face the same sharp cost increases and market instability as the rest of American agriculture,” California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass said. “This underscores the ongoing need for federal programs that serve all American agriculture, and we are appreciative of members of Congress working to fill in the gaps.”

On Dec. 8, the same day the relief package was announced, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from California, Oregon and Washington introduced the Specialty Crop & Wine Producer Tariff Relief Act.

The bill would create a payment program through USDA for specialty crop growers who have been impacted by trade disruptions. It would also direct the department to purchase unsold crops for public programs such as school lunches and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“California’s agricultural and wine community are cornerstones of our local economies, from family farms to world-class producers,” Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said in a statement. “Ensuring they can weather sudden tariff hikes isn’t just an economic necessity, it’s a commitment to protecting the livelihoods that make our district and community special.”

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, who coauthored the bill with Thompson and other lawmakers, called for relief that supports all U.S. farmers regardless of the crop they grow.

“The agricultural economy is suffering, and dividing farm country isn’t the solution,” LaMalfa said in a statement. “Row crop and specialty crop growers in my district are struggling just alike, and this bill ensures all of farm country is supported. We can’t make Americans healthy again if we continue to let tree nut, fruit, and vegetable growers fall behind in bad years while only boosting the safety net for a limited number of crops.”

Douglass, the California Farm Bureau president, said the organization “will continue advocating for fair and timely support for all California farmers.”

See related news stories...

• Specialty crop growers face added risk, fewer tools
• State specialty crops receive funding to increase exports
• Farm makes heirloom, specialty vegetables its focus