To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide for seasonal and perishable programs, and for other purposes.
Specialty Crops: Support for Farmers Facing Import Competition
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by the House Committee on Agriculture. No future meetings or votes have been scheduled for this proposal yet. It is considered active but has not moved beyond the initial committee referral.
Legislative Progress
While this bill supports local farmers, it faces a difficult path because trade-related farm policies often lead to complex disputes with other countries.
Key Points
- This bill creates a new program to help American farmers who grow fresh fruits and vegetables. It focuses on specialty crops that spoil quickly, such as berries, tomatoes, and citrus fruits, which are often sold within eight weeks of being picked.
- Farmers would receive government payments if the market price for their crops falls below the average price from the previous three years. This help only triggers if the price drop is caused by an increase in food being imported from other countries.
- To be eligible for the money, a farmer must have an average income of less than $5 million or earn at least 75 percent of their total income from farming. This rule is meant to ensure the support goes to people who rely on agriculture for their living.
- The program is scheduled to begin in 2027. It aims to protect the domestic food supply by making sure local farmers can stay in business even when cheap imports flood the market during their specific harvest seasons.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide for seasonal and perishable programs, and for other purposes.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.