PDA Produce Policy Update

Farm Bill Process

Congress typically enacts a new set of comprehensive laws affecting food and agriculture policy in the United

States every five years called the Farm Bill. The last Farm Bill was enacted in 2018 and has already been extended

for one additional year, and that extension expired on September 30, 2024. USDA is currently managing Farm Bill

programs with its administrative discretion. However, there are limits to what USDA can accomplish

administratively, and Congress must act before the end of the year.

Unfortunately, Congress has adjourned until after the election, which leaves a potential “lame duck” session of

Congress – defined as the period between after the November election and when a new Congress convenes in

January 2025 – to either enact a new five-year Farm Bill or pass yet another extension. Which path Congressional

leaders decide to take will largely depend on the outcome of the November election. Therefore, it’s anyone’s

guess what the next couple of months will hold for the 2023/2024 Farm Bill.

Farm Bill Substance – Progress for Produce

Significant proposals from the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees both include many of

the policy priorities requested by the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance - which is a broad national coalition

representing the fruit, vegetable, tree nut, and horticulture industries in the United States. These proposals

include significant investments for research and innovation as well as enhancements to crop insurance and

other programs that would provide produce growers with greater access to the farm safety net and other USDA

resources.

Although the produce industry is faring well in this current Farm Bill cycle, the industry as a whole is playing

catch-up when compared to traditional row crop production. Specialty crop production represents nearly half

the farm gate value of American agriculture, yet specialty crops historically receive far less than 10 percent of

the Farm Bill’s investments. In fact, the Horticulture Title of the 2018 Farm Bill - which includes many of the

programs designed exclusively for specialty crops - received about one-half of one percent of the Farm Bill’s

resources, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance continues to fight for additional resources and program enhancements to

assist the produce industry in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

reports that nine in 10 Americans do not consume enough fruits and vegetables as a part of their daily diets. This

needs to change. The Farm Bill should ensure that all Americans have access to nutritious, domestically-grown

produce. The Farm Bill should invest more, not less, in specialty crops for the benefit of all Americans.

This update was written by Jonathan Cordone of Cordone Consulting and provided by the Produce Distributors Association (PDA). The PDA is a national trade association focused exclusively on the unique needs of produce wholesale receivers. For more information visit their website at https://www.producedistributorsassociation.org/ or contact Alan Siger at asiger@producedistributorsassociation.org or 412-913-1780