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Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance focuses on top needs

Top recommendations for the next farm bill were highlighted by Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance members during this week’s listening session.

California Fresh Fruit Association president Ian LeMay told members of the U.S. House Ag Committee the Market Access Program hasn’t seen a funding increase in more than a decade.

“It is an over-prescribed program, many of the commodity sectors here have demonstrated the value,” he says.

He says the market access program could be a domestic model.

“Currently, USDA does not have the authority for domestic promotion of U.S. goods,” he says.  “One—we would like USDA to be given that authority to promote within the United States our goods, and then hopefully create a MAP like program.”

LeMay also called for specialty crop insurance coverage to be expanded, a cash share program to help incentivize research adoption, and permanent disaster relief for growers impacted by climate change.

The alliance represents more than 200 commodities grown in the U.S.