The House passed a new Farm Bill on Jan. 29. The bill authorizes $1 trillion in spending on subsidies and other agriculture programs. It also cuts food stamps by about one percent and ends a direct subsidy payment to farmers. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure before the end of the week. 
But what could the bill mean for the floriculture industry?
"The last time the Farm Bill was reauthorized, a new “specialty crops title” was included," says AmericanHort's Craig Regelbrugge, senior vice president of industry advocacy and research . "And we are within the definition of specialty crops. Some programs in this title are more relevant to us than others."
Regelbrugg recently took time to answer questions about the bill and its potential impact on growers.
Which programs will be more relevant to our industry?
"Perhaps the most valuable are in the areas of pest and disease prevention/management, and marketing. The former makes funds available through a collaborative vetting process for pest surveys, diagnostics development, rapid response, and so forth. We are at the table in that process, and millions in annual funding are going toward developing tools to address challenges ranging from impatiens downy mildew to boxwood blight to (we hope this year) rose rosette disease. The farm bill now being voted on expands these funds," he said.
United Fresh praised the legislation and noted that there was a 55 percent increase in funding for critical produce industry initatives and programs when compared to the 2008 Farm Bill.
What about the marketing aspect?
"On the marketing side, a number of projects have been funded under the “specialty crop block grant” program, which is administered by state agriculture departments. Close to home for us is the “Plant Something” program, which started in Arizona and is expanding to other states. The new farm bill will allow for multi-state submissions, perhaps allowing this program to become national in scope," he noted.
Are there other aspects relevant to the industry?
"The Specialty Crop Research Initiative provides badly-needed research funding at a time when other funding channels are challenged. The new farm bill expands the funding somewhat, and we’ve gotten new language in that improves the process to ensure that funded projects truly target an industry’s top priorities," he added.
For example, the Sun Herald reported on Jan. 27 that the bill includes $125 million, spread over five years, for citrus disease research, and specifically finding a remedy for citrus greening, the bacterial disease that is attacking fruits in Flordia and several other states.
Regelbrugge concluded that the industry should think of the new bill as "basic infrastructure" for business success in American Horticulture.
For more information on how the Farm Bill could affect the industry, and for other AmericanHort news, check out their website. To learn more about Washington's impact on the industry, go to Regelbrugge's page on AmericanHort.
Latest from Produce Grower
- WUR extends Gerben Messelink’s professorship in biological pest control in partnership with Biobest and Interpolis
- Closing the loop
- The Growth Industry Episode 8: From NFL guard to expert gardener with Chuck Hutchison
- Raise a glass (bottle)
- From farm kid to Ph.D.
- Do consumers trust produce growers?
- The modern grocery shopper
- Beyond a burst of optimism
