Stabenow Announces $2 Billion For Specialty Crops

Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Tuesday announced $2 billion to support the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crop growers.

Stabenow said: "Specialty crops represent almost half of the cash receipts in agriculture across our country, and it's not easy to grow fruits and vegetables. Specialty crop producers across the country are struggling to stay competitive under pressure from rising labor costs, the climate crisis, and international markets. Today's announcement will provide much needed help to ensure that our specialty crop industry, from producers large and small, remains competitive well into the future."

Labor costs are continuing to rise for farmers across the country, particularly for specialty crop producers. These farmers lack access to commodity program safety net tools, and their labor costs are three to four times higher than most traditional row crops. The resources announced today will help ease this pressure on these producers ahead of the next growing season, helping to keep American-grown produce on our plates.

Chairwoman Stabenow remains focused on passing a 5-year Farm Bill by the end of the year and securing additional emergency relief for producers and rural communities that have been ravaged by recent natural disasters made worse by the climate crisis.

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