For the second week, International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) members testified at key hearings in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the produce industry. The June 7 hearing, “How the Farm Bill Works for Specialty Crop Producers,” was held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research,
“Our members, with their first-hand experience of both policies that work and those that do not, make the best advocates before members of Congress as they head into Farm Bill negotiations,” said IFPA VP of U.S. Government Relations Rebeckah Adcock.
Charles Wingard, VP of field operations at Pelion, S.C.-based Walter P. Rawl & Co., testified on priorities critical to the growth of the specialty-crop sector, including insurance, conservation and the climate, nutrition, research, organics, and trade.
“The current implementation of AGI [adjusted gross income] limitations disproportionately prohibits specialty-crop producers from participating in certain USDA programs in a meaningful way and potentially inhibits specialty-crop producers from participating in disaster programs,” said Wingard. “USDA programs that require a means test for participation should be based on income derived from farming and be flexible enough to account for the variety of structures, accounting methods and other special considerations for specialty-crop producers, not just their AGI.”
This has been a topic of concern for the industry, especially following atmospheric river events in California earlier this year.
Wingard also prioritized support for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), noting that “SCRI addresses the critical needs of our industry by awarding grants that support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional and multistate importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional, contained-environment and organic production systems.”
IFPA members also testified at May 31 Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing “From farm to table: Immigrant workers get the job done.”