Witnesses at a House Agriculture Committee Hearing argued that investments in the One Big Beautiful Bill are not enough to address the numerous challenges for specialty crop producers.
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Witnesses at a House Agriculture Committee Hearing argued that investments in the One Big Beautiful Bill are not enough to address the numerous challenges for specialty crop producers.
September 17, 2025
September 17, 2025 – Representatives from the specialty crops industry on Tuesday presented a number of policy recommendations to lawmakers that the House Agriculture Committee could address with a slimmed-down farm bill.
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During a full committee hearing, representatives from the industry, which includes fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, also said the sector urgently needs tariff relief and reforms to farm labor policy. These are areas outside the committee’s direct jurisdiction, however, and Congress has been reluctant to take action on them in recent years.
Committee members highlighted the growing role specialty crops play in their local economies, from Florida oranges to North Carolina sweet potatoes.
Specialty crop producers are struggling with issues similar to those experienced by farmers across the agricultural spectrum, especially labor shortages, extreme weather, and tariffs, experts said. But unlike industrial row crops, specialty crops lack historic investment. Specialty crops are often more labor intensive and have fewer safety net-options, compounding impacts.
Crop-neutral safety net options like Whole Farm Revenue Protection have a threshold loss that is often untenable for small specialty crop producers, said Micahel Frantz, president of Frantz Wholesale Nursery Company LLC. Other crop insurance offerings often don’t cover the diverse needs of specialty crops, he added.
The Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed into law earlier this year, includes some provisions typically covered by the farm bill, including some support for specialty crops.
But Dana Brennan, speaking on behalf of the International Fresh Produce Association, said gaps still remain. Even though specialty crops make up hundreds of billions of dollars in value, they only receive .5 percent of farm bill funding, Brennan told lawmakers. Meanwhile, hopes of a farm bill passing this year are fading.
“There’s more that remains to be done,” said Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), who is chairman of the committee. “My prediction is . . . we will have probably the strongest and best farm bill for specialty crops that we’ve ever seen.”
Thompson echoed calls for new trade wins, workforce certainty, and humanitarian aid. He also said improvements to programs could be included in the next farm bill, including fixes to research, carveouts for mechanization and automation, better block grants, and stronger safety nets.
Since the passage of the OBBB, Thompson has indicated he wants to pass a second, slimmed-down version of the farm bill. This would include programs and bills not addressed in the Republican megabill. But it’s unclear if and when either chamber will move on a farm bill.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) said committee Democrats are in the process this week of circulating priority legislation they hope to include in a farm bill. Still, she said she’s “skeptical” that a farm bill is a priority for House Republican leadership or the White House.
A bulk of the hearing focused on the need for farm labor reform, including changes to the H-2A guestworker program. Some witnesses and members highlighted legislation like the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which has passed the House several times but never cleared the Senate. That bill would reform the H-2A program and provide pathways for non-citizens to legally work on farms.
Witnesses and Democrats also called attention to the impact the Trump administration’s trade policy has had on specialty crops, by making it harder and more expensive to access inputs and machinery. But while Republicans called for new trade deals, they stopped short of critiquing President Donald Trump’s tariffs. (Link to this post.)
September 24, 2025
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