President Barack Obama signed a new Farm Bill into law on Feb. 7. The legislation's long road to the president's desk included a two-year standstill in Congress. The bill authorizes $1 trillion in spending on subsidies and other agriculture programs.
What does the bill mean for the horticulture 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," he said.
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.
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