WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 2, 2025) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement today reacting to the House passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“We are grateful to Chairmen Thompson and Boozman and their staffs for advancing these vital investments in specialty crops, which the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has advocated for since 2023.
“Our message continues to be simple: any Congressional investment in American agriculture must include specialty crops. America’s specialty crop growers face a host of unprecedented challenges similar to those confronting row crop producers. Specialty crops represent nearly a quarter of U.S. crop value and make up more than half of what Americans eat. The family farms that provide Americans with a reliable source of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and horticulture, deserve meaningful support from their government. Nothing short of the survival of our domestic industry is at stake.
“The investments included in H.R. 1 are a key piece of the puzzle to enhance the competitiveness of America’s specialty crop growers, but there is still work to be done. Senate rules prohibited the inclusion of many of the innovative policy initiatives that we proposed, such as investing in mechanization and automation, modernizing procurement rules to include more high-value fruits and vegetables, and reforming crop insurance that would provide many of our growers with an affordable and effective safety net for the first time.
“We commend the House and Senate Agriculture Committees for recognizing that our growers domestically produce the safe, nutritious foods that more Americans should be consuming, as well as cultivate the trees, flowers and plants that play a vital role in the nation’s health and wellbeing. We stand ready to work with Congress to enact the remainder of our priorities at the earliest opportunity and look forward to advancing future farm and food policy in the context of comprehensive, bipartisan farm bills.”
The SCFBA is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, President of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, President and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.
