WASHINGTON -- Growers are being urged to call their representatives to encourage Congress to pass a new five-year farm bill. The existing bill expires Sept. 30, so time is running out.
The bill provides funds that support important specialty crop programs like Pest and Disease Management (Section 10201), Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Specialty Crop Block Grants and the National Clean Plant Network. With the deadline looming, the U.S. Congress still has not come up with a path to passing the 2012 Farm Bill.
In an effort to draw attention to the issue, a coalition called “Farm Bill Now,” which is made up of farmers, ranchers, dairymen and others, rallied on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Sept. 12, to pressure Congress, especially the U.S. House of Representatives leadership, to take action and move the bill towards passage.
The 2012 Farm Bill passed the U.S. Senate on June 21, by a vote of 64-35. And in July, it was approved by the House Agriculture Committee on a bipartisan vote of 35-11. Though it is ready to be considered by the full House of Representatives, House leadership has not scheduled time for a debate and floor vote.
The House version, officially known as the 'Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012,' includes solid funding for specialty crops, including nursery and floriculture crops. Many of the specialty crop provisions support programs and infrastructure like pest prevention and research that are important to industry success. Proposed House funding levels for the programs most relevant to nursery and greenhouse growers are as follows:
- The Pest & Disease and National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) programs, combined, would receive $357.5 million in funding over five years;
- The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) would be funded at $200 million over five years;
- The Specialty Crop Block Grant program would receive $350 million over five years.
To let your Representative in the House know of your support for the Farm Bill's funding for specialty crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops, click here.